Spratly IslandsDone by:

Ang Ray Yan (4S102)Dominic Cheong (4S108)

Johnny Yeung (4S134)

Contents

• Fact file• Early conflict• Contesting countries• Key events in the fight for sovereignty

Fact file

• Made up of 750 reefs• South China Sea• Between Philippines,

China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei

• <5km2

• Rich in oil, gas, seafood and coral reef resources

Early conflict

1933: France asserted its ownership

established in 1887 on behalf of then-colony

Vietnam

Occupied Itu Aba, built 2 weather

stations, administered its affairs

Republic of China protested: France

found Chinese fishermen upon

discovery of the island

Japan used islands in 1939 as submarine

base for SE Asia invasion during WWII

Japan lost, ROC claimed all islands.

Japan renounced claims in San Francisco

Treaty in 1951

Contesting countries

China

To prove that China has sovereignty over Spratly

Islands since history

Archaeological evidences

Chinese fishermen and

merchants occupying island

Naval expeditions in Han Dynasty

China

Transition from

bicycles to mass

transit

Inadequate oil refinery

and extraction capabilities

Increasing oil consumption and demand (7.5%/yr, 7 x higher than

US)

Harness hydrocarbon resources on

Spratly Island to

generate oil

Primary motive

China

Source: http://www.worldwatch.org/brain/images/press/news/vs05-china_oil.jpg

China

Secondary motive• Increase its territory by drawing territorial

lines to Spratly Islands• Observed in China producing such a map in

1958.

Philippines

• Owns 60 islands and 7 wells• Nearest proximity to Spratly Islands• Reason for ownership:– At 1956, Tomas Cloma and crew ‘discovered’ Spratly

Islands– Unoccupied, abandoned– Fought for ownership based on res nullis principle:

• Res nullis: Any island uninhabited/abandoned belongs to the discoverer

• Renamed islands as Freedomland

Philippines

• Motive for ownership:– Integral step in improving security in Philippines– Increase its oil production more revenue

Philippines

• Motive for ownership:– Integral step in improving security in Philippines– Increase its oil production more revenue

Brunei

• Claims Louisa ReefMotive:

Fisheries

Strategic location

Sustained economic growth for

Brunei

Brunei

• Focus not on oil and gas, already main producer

• Southern part of Spratly Islands: Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Brunei

• Established by UNCLOS (law of the seas) by UN• In 1984, Brunei declared an EEZ that includes

Louisa Reef.

Vietnam

Motives

Economic motives

Recent economic

liberalization in 1986 future

economic growth at stake

Presently oil imported

country. Needs to produce own

oil to propel economy

Geographical motives

Dependent on sea route on

South China Sea

Secure sea route

Vietnam

• As early as the 17th century, Vietnamese maps record Spratly Islands as her territory

• Vietnam had conducted many geographical and resource surveys of the islands

• China did not declare sovereignty over the Spratlys until after World War II

Taiwan

• Taiwan currently occupies Itu Aba island (Taiping Island)

• Claims sovereignty over all Spratly Islands

• Taiwan’s claims are similar to that of PRC’s• After WWII, Japan renounced control of

Spratlys to China, but after separation in 1949, Taiwan retained control of military there

Taiwan

• Built an airstrip on Itu Aba Island• In 2008, Taiwan's president Chen Shui-

bian personally visited the island

Fishing rights Shipping lanes

Potential of natural gas beneath the seabed

Expanding international borders

Motives

Malaysia

• Started its claim in 1979

• Malaysia occupied three islands that it considers to be within its continental shelf.

• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea states: “A coastal nation has control of all resources on or under its continental shelf, living or not”

Malaysia

Motives

Exploitation of natural

resourcesEconomic reasons

Owns a hotel in one of the islands

Swallow Reef (Layang Layang) was turned

into an island through land reclamation and

hosts a dive resort

Uninvolved countries

Eg. Singapore

Concerned about peace and security

around South China Sea region

Held internal forums to discuss

this matter

Demanded more participation in

ASEAN discussions

Key events

• Sino-Vietnam conflict• 1992 Declaration of the South China Sea• China’s defiance• 2002 Declaration of conduct of parties of the

South China Sea

Sino-Vietnam conflict

Background

1950s

19741988

China VietnamHistorical claims over island, thus islands

should be theirsMeet growing oil demand

Produce own oil, cease oil importation

Increase territory Secure sea route

Sino-Vietnam conflict

1958 •China produced a map demarcating Paracel and Spratly Islands as their territory

1968•Oil was discovered on Spratly Islands•4th biggest oil field•More countries interested to harness such resource. Vietnam stationed

troops

1973 •South Vietnam boldly acquired 5 islands and garrisoned troops there

1974•China ignored such claims•Chinese forces attacked Vietnamese forces•Excuse: Chinese fishermen there were harassed.

Sino-Vietnam conflict

1974 •Vietnam retreated to Spratly Islands•China shifted focus to Spratly Islands

1980s•Vietnamese lost backing even from USSR

1988 •China erected structures to accommodate soldiers on Spratly Island

Mar 1988 •War between China and Vietnam over Johnson Reef. China gained 6 more islands to total of 9.

•Diplomatic relations were broken

ASEAN declaration of the South China Sea

An initial step in promoting peace while claiming

sovereignty

Self restraint

Maintaining present status quo

Prevent unnecessary actions to complicate matters

1992 declaration

China also signed this declaration

China’s defiance

• Despite signing the declaration…

China passed “Territorial

Sea and Contiguous

Zones" Law, laying hands

on all of Spratly IslandsEnhanced fortifications on the

island in 2000

Mischief Reef disputeChina built initial structures in 1994 during monsoon season, Philippines not patrolling

Philippines protested, China claimed it was shelter for fishermen

China reinforced on its structures, resembled military structures.

Philippines did not dare to bomb its structures for fear of war same fate as Vietnam, 70+ deaths

Decided to destroy initial structures to prevent its evolution into military structures

Declaration of the conduct of parties in the South China Sea

• Signed in 2002• More specific steps to maintain peace while competing for

Spratly Islands

Refrain from claiming ownership of uninhabited

islands

Confidence building measures, such as voluntary

exchange of views

Joint exploration on Spratly Island

Cooperative activities, such as:

1. Marine protection2. Combat transnational

crime

Declaration of the conduct of parties in the South China Sea

• Almost resolved the Spratly Islands problem peacefully

• Not legal binding, fell short of a final step

Peaceful resolution

• During Asian Association of Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) conference in the Philippines,

• Claimant countries of Spratly Islands signed another declaration to promote joint development of resources on Spratly Islands

Peaceful resolution

• 2005: National oil companies of China, Vietnam and Philippines signed joint accord– Promote joint seismic experiments on Spratly

Islands for economic purposes

Conclusion

Matter seems solved, but no legal binding document• China still claims all of Spratly

islands as its territory

Progression of peace may revert back to

square one

Continue to collaborate extensively in joint

exploration of Spratly Islands

References

• http://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/05/world/rival-claims-to-island-chain-bring-edginess-to-asia-s-rim.html

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spratly_islands • http://thepinoy.net/?p=1184 • http://www.monitor.upeace.org/innerpg.cfm?id_ar

ticle=623• http://web.mit.edu/cascon/cases/case_spi.html• http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/s

pratly-diplomacy.htm• http://www1.american.edu/TED/SPRATLY.htm• http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/spratly.htm

Thank you