IT’S A SCENE THAT’S BECOME ALL TOO FAMILIAR IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. A CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE CHINESE COAST GUARD AND FILIPINO VESSELS. 

THIS IS VIDEO OF THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT WHICH HAPPENED ON APRIL 30TH. A PAIR OF CHINESE COAST GUARD SHIPS USED WATER CANNONS TO DOUSE FILIPINO VESSELS THAT WERE REPORTEDLY EN ROUTE TO THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL TO HELP SOME FISHERMEN. 

AT LEAST THAT’S HOW THE PHILIPPINES GOVERNMENT DESCRIBED THE INCIDENT IN IT’S OFFICIAL PROTEST OF WHAT IS NOW THE 20TH SUCH ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS JUST THIS YEAR. 

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ALSO RELEASED FOOTAGE OF THE ENCOUNTER, BUT SAID THE WATER CANNONS WERE USED LAWFULLY TO PROTECT CHINESE INTERESTS IN THE AREA. 

BOTH THE PHILIPPINES AND CHINA ACCUSE THE OTHER OF ESCALATING TENSIONS IN THE REGION…AND THE APRIL 30TH INCIDENT ALSO HAPPENED WHILE THE PHILIPPINES AND THE UNITED STATES WERE TAKING PART IN THE ANNUAL BALIKATAN MILITARY DRILLS. BALIKATAN MEANS SHOULDER-TO-SHOULDER–AND THIS YEAR’S EVENT MARKS THE LARGEST EVER–WITH MORE THAN 17,000 SOLDIERS TAKING PART. 

[RYAN AT TOUCHSCREEN]

SO WHY IS THERE SO MUCH ATTENTION ON THE SOUTH CHINA SEA?

AND WHY DO SOME MILITARY AND GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSTS THINK THE TENSIONS HERE ARE MORE LIKELY TO SPARK A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE U-S AND CHINA THAN A POSSIBLE CHINESE TAKEOVER OF TAIWAN? 

WELL, IT’S A MULTI-FACETED ISSUE–BUT LET’S SEE IF WE CAN’T BREAK IT DOWN A BIT. 

FIRST–LET’S GO AHEAD AND GET A LAY OF THE LAND

HERE IS THE SOUTH CHINA SEA….AND THIS IS THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL–

THE AREA WHERE THE MOST RECENT RUN-IN BETWEEN CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES HAPPENED. 

I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OTHER LOCATIONS REAL QUICK–

THE FIRST IS A GROUPING OF ISLANDS AND SANDBARS CALLED THE SPRATLYS…

AND WITHIN THAT CLUSTER IS AN AREA CALLED THE  SECOND THOMAS SHOAL…

NOW, ALL OF THESE LOCATIONS ARE WITHIN THE FISHING GROUNDS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN ACCESSED BY MOST OF THE COUNTRIES IN THIS REGION…

THEY ARE VERY FERTILE–AND SUPPLY A LOT OF THE FOOD FOR PEOPLE LIVING HERE.

BUT YOU’LL ALSO NOTICE THEY ARE WITHIN THESE BOUNDARIES HERE…

WHICH SIGNIFY THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONES, OR EEZS, FOR EACH COUNTRY. 

NOW, THE UN CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA DEFINES AN  EEZ AS AN AREA THAT EXTENDS OUT FROM A COUNTRY’S COASTAL TERRITORY INTO THE SEA…

BUT NOW MORE THAN 200 NAUTICAL MILES. A COUNTRY HAS SOLE AUTHORITY TO PERMIT OR PROHIBIT ANY SORT OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY WITHIN THOSE ZONES. 

THERE’S BEEN NO OFFICIAL RULING ON WHO’S SOVEREIGN TERRITORY ANY OF THIS BELONGS TOO–BUT THE PERMANENT COURT OF ARBITRATION RULED IN 2016 CHINA DEFINITELY DOESN’T OWN IT–

STILL, CHINESE VESSELS IMPLEMENT BLOCKADES FROM TIME TO TIME…AND ESSENTIALLY HAVE CONTROLLED ACCESS TO THE SCARBOROUGH SHOAL SINCE 2012. THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY–UNDER THE RULE OF XI JINPING–MAINTAINS THEY’RE JUST LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR OWN BEST INTERESTS–AND PROTECTING THEIR TERRITORY FROM WHAT IT VIEWS AS A HOSTILE EXPANSION OF US INTERESTS. 

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PENDULUM SWING– ARE THE CHINA HAWKS WHO SAY THE REAL AIM OF XI’S REGIME IS TO ESTABLISH MILITARY FOOTHOLDS IN THE REGION….AND POTENTIALLY CONTROL TRADE ROUTES. 

AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST LUCRATIVE TRADE ROUTES IN THE WORLD. MORE THAN THREE TRILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF GOODS SAIL ON THESE SEAS EVERY YEAR. 

NOW, REMEMBER THESE ISLANDS–THE SPRATLYS…

OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW YEARS–THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT INVESTED BILLIONS TO BUILD UP WHAT WERE ESSENTIALLY EXPOSED OUTCROPPINGS OF CORAL REEF INTO FULL-FLEDGED MILITARY FACILITIES WITH RUNWAYS AND BARRACKS.

CHINA ISN’T ALONE IN ADDING MORE MILITARY RESOURCES TO THE REGION. 

IN ADDITION TO UPPING ITS NAVAL PATROLS –THE PHILIPPINES ALSO SOUGHT TO FURTHER ITS CLAIMS TO THIS AREA OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA–

BY  PURPOSEFULLY RUNNING A SHIP AGROUND IN THE SECOND THOMAS SHOAL–

THE SHIP IS NOW USED AS A PERMANENT MILITARY INSTALLATION BY THE PHILIPPINES–THAT MEANS REGULAR RESUPPLY MISSIONS–

AND THOSE ARE ANOTHER POINT OF CONTENTION FOR THE CHINESE AND OFTEN ANOTHER SOURCE OF CONFLICT. 

WHILE ALL OF THIS IS GOING ON–THE PHILIPPINES CONTINUES TO STRENGTHEN ITS MILITARY TIES TO THE UNITED STATES…WHICH IS A SIMILAR PATTERN IN THE PACIFIC. JAPAN AND AUSTRALIA ALSO ENTERED INTO HISTORICAL MILITARY PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE U-S RECENTLY OVER FEARS CHINA MAY TRY TO TAKE CONTROL OF TERRITORY THAT ISN’T THEIRS. 

EVEN INDIA IS FOCUSED ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REGION. INDIA DOESN’T WANT CHINA TO TAKE OVER THESE ROUTES ANYMORE THAN ANYONE ELSE DOES–WHICH IS WHY IT RECENTLY SOLD THE PHILIPPINES SOME BRAHMOS MISSILE BATTERIES…BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN 3 TRILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF TRADE COULD BE ON THE LINE–THAT DEMANDS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION.

RYAN ROBERTSON–STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.