South China Sea Dispute Intensifies Amidst Increasing Tension Between China and the Philippines

The simmering dispute over the territorial claims of the South China Sea has garnered renewed attention with the recent escalation in tension between the Philippines and China. The crux of the confrontation rests on Beijing’s unwavering assertiveness over its so-called "nine-dash line", a demarcation line used by the government of China to lay claim to almost the entire body of water.

The representation of the nine-dash line, appearing on the latest version of China's national map, has stirred unease among Southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, who too, beg entitlement to the waters bordering their coastlines. Contrary to China's stance, an international tribunal in 2016 denied the validity of the "nine-dash line", asserting that it did not accord legal ground to China's claims. Despite this verdict, China continues to champion its coastal boundary, charting geopolitical frictions.

China believes its entitlement to the South-China Sea is deep-rooted in its history, tracing back to voyages undertaken during the Han Dynasty. By the Song Dynasty, territorial marking and claims over the Spratly and Paracel Islands (referred by China as Nansha and Xisha respectively) were already underway. The invigorated claims have been challenged by the arrival of Western explorers and the rise of the Vietnamese Nguyen Dynasty, ultimately culminating into the convoluted dispute we see today.

In the aftermath of World War II, amidst a civil war, the then Nationalist government of the Republic of China seized the geopolitical instability to delineate its claim over the disputed waters by publishing a national map of China. This map contained the eleven-dash claim over the South China Sea, including an additional two dashes over Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin.

Proponents of Beijing's claim argue the depiction of the infamous tongue-shaped line reaching deep into the South China Sea is a fair visual representation of its historic maritime domination. However, counterclaims insist that China's territorial claims breach the United Nation's Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Under UNCLOS, each country is entitled to enjoy sovereign rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which extend 200 nautical miles (around 370 km) from their coastline.

Despite signing UNCLOS in 1982, China continues to impose its sovereignty over surrounding countries, resulting in continued disputes. In recent years, China's undermining tactics have included land reclamation efforts and claims over maritime entitlements. Endorsed by the military strength of its coast guard, maritime militia, and fishing fleets, China's assertions remain formidable.

Despite a ruling from The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Philippines' favor following a confrontation with China at Scarborough Shoal, little has hindered China's aggressive expansion in the disputed waters. As disputes continue to mount amidst Beijing's unyielding stance, the issue of the "nine-dash line" remains a geopolitically sensitive topic with wider implications for the region at large.