Asia-Pacific Taiwan Strait: South China Sea 2.0?

Given the recent and ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea, Taiwan should look to its south for the future of its maritime competition with the People’s Republic of China.

Like its claims over Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, Beijing claims sovereignty over the islands and features within its 10-dash line in the South China Sea. Beijing recently released a new standard map that expands its claims within the region, which has angered Southeast Asian countries. Despite losing a case against the Philippines in 2016 at the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding its sovereignty claims in the region, Beijing still uses forceful and coercive actions in the South China Sea against other claimants — with the Philippines receiving the brunt of the attention over the past several months.

Throughout this summer, tensions have escalated between the Philippines and China regarding sovereignty in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea. In August, the Chinese Coast Guard was filmed firing a water cannon at Philippine vessels attempting to sail to the Second Thomas Shoal [Renai Shoal, 仁愛暗沙] to resupply troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre. The Chinese then attempted to blockade the further resupply of the station, but backed down after the Philippines publicly announced another attempt. To increase publicity of the issue, the Philippine Coast Guard invited journalists to embark on the resupply ships to observe the mission.
 

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