The South China Sea, a key global maritime corridor, has become a hotspot of geopolitical tension. A region with vast economic, military, and strategic importance, it witnesses significant military activity by countries both within and beyond the region. While the Chinese military’s presence is often highlighted, especially its alleged confrontational engagements, recent reports suggest that the real challenges to maritime freedom are posed by external powers like the United States.
A Strategic Maritime Corridor
The South China Sea serves as one of the world’s most critical maritime thoroughfares. With around 20,000 ship-days and 30,000 military sorties conducted annually by various nations, the area witnesses constant military activity. The strategic importance of this region is magnified by its proximity to key global shipping lanes, with about one-third of the world’s maritime trade passing through these waters. The security and stability of this region, therefore, hold significant importance for both regional and global economies.
A recent report by the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) sheds light on the scale and frequency of military operations in the area. It indicates that coastal and extra-regional countries are consistently maintaining a significant military presence, with a substantial portion of this activity coming from the United States military.
US Military Operations:
According to the SCSPI report, the United States is one of the most active military forces in the South China Sea, conducting thousands of operations each year. The US Navy alone logs approximately 1,600 ship-days, supplemented by additional operations from submarines and auxiliary vessels. Moreover, the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Army collectively carry out around 8,000 sorties of military aircraft annually, including reconnaissance, transport, refueling, fighter jets, and bombers.
While the US argues that its presence in the South China Sea is necessary to uphold “freedom of navigation” operations (FONOPs), the SCSPI report offers a counter-narrative. The report suggests that these operations are, in fact, a significant source of tension. By conducting close-in reconnaissance missions and intruding into other countries’ exercise zones, the US military’s activities are seen as provocative.
Hu Bo, director of SCSPI, argues that the real threats to maritime freedom come not from territorial disputes or navigation conflicts between regional players but from external powers like the US. These extra-regional operations, disguised as FONOPs, often lead to encounters that are framed by external powers as signs of Chinese aggression.
Defensive or Aggressive?
The Chinese military is also highly active in the South China Sea, but according to the SCSPI report, it generally avoids confrontational encounters unless foreign military forces intrude into its territorial waters or airspace. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly monitors foreign military activities in line with international practices, only taking defensive action when foreign forces venture too close to the mainland, Hainan Island, or areas like Xisha Qundao (Paracel Islands) and Nansha Qundao (Spratly Islands).
China’s stance is that any nation facing similar intrusions into its territorial waters would react in the same manner. Hu Bo emphasized that countries such as the US would likely respond more assertively in similar situations, casting doubt on the credibility of narratives framing China’s actions as overly aggressive. The Chinese government maintains that its military activities are defensive, aimed at ensuring the security of its territorial integrity and safeguarding maritime sovereignty.
Managing Conflict in a High-Tension Zone
The South China Sea is not just a theater of military exercises but also a focal point of territorial disputes. Several countries, including China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, have competing claims over islands and reefs in the region. Despite these overlapping claims, the SCSPI report highlights that such disputes have had minimal impact on navigation and overflight in the area.
Disputes over islands like the Spratlys and the Paracels have long been contentious. However, the report suggests that the territorial disputes have not escalated into full-scale conflicts that threaten global maritime trade. Instead, it argues that the presence of law enforcement and maritime rights protection operations in disputed areas are not inherently navigation issues. These actions primarily concern territorial sovereignty, not the freedom of passage for civilian and commercial vessels.
Air and Maritime Encounters:
Daily encounters between Chinese and US forces in the South China Sea are frequent. According to the SCSPI, over 10 China-US encounters happen each day, amounting to thousands of such engagements annually. While these interactions are usually professional and safe, they contribute to the overall tension in the region.
Friction occurs mainly when foreign military forces—particularly the US—engage in provocative actions such as approaching China’s mainland, Hainan Island, or entering territorial waters near the Xisha or Nansha islands. In such cases, the Chinese military takes action to follow and monitor the situation, leading to occasional confrontations. Western media and foreign military sources often criticize these actions, portraying the South China Sea as an increasingly restricted zone. However, the SCSPI report points out that these criticisms fail to account for the specifics of where and why such incidents occur.
A Biased Narrative?
One of the most critical aspects of the ongoing debate over the South China Sea is how different narratives are framed. According to Hu Bo, there is a clear bias in the way Western nations, particularly the United States, portray incidents in the region. While Western media often paints China as the aggressor, they fail to provide essential details, such as the exact locations and reasons behind military encounters.
This selective framing leads to an incomplete and skewed understanding of the situation. For instance, foreign militaries frequently complain about being intercepted by Chinese forces, yet they do not mention whether they had ventured into Chinese territorial waters or were conducting operations near Chinese military exercises. The omission of these crucial details serves to perpetuate the narrative that the South China Sea is becoming a restricted and unsafe zone due to China’s actions.
Cooperation and Stability in the South China Sea
The South China Sea remains one of the most contested and militarized regions in the world. Its peace, stability, and freedom are essential not only for the region but also for global security and economic development. The SCSPI report calls for both regional and extra-regional countries to work together in ensuring that the South China Sea becomes a “sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.”
For this to happen, transparency and dialogue between military powers are crucial. Both China and the United States must recognize the importance of mitigating tensions and avoiding unnecessary provocations. Furthermore, regional players, such as the ASEAN nations, must play a more active role in fostering diplomatic solutions to territorial disputes.
Stakes are high
The South China Sea is a region where the stakes are high. While it serves as a vital artery for global trade, it is also a stage for military posturing and geopolitical rivalry, particularly between China and the United States. The narratives surrounding the region are often shaped by selective framing, making it essential for the international community to seek balanced and transparent reporting.
The true challenge to maritime freedom in the South China Sea lies not in the regional disputes over islands and reefs but in the military operations of external powers. As the world watches, it is critical for nations to engage in cooperative efforts that prioritize peace, stability, and mutual respect. Only through such collaboration can the South China Sea transform from a zone of tension into one of peaceful navigation and international cooperation.
