AGENDA: DEMILITARISATION OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA
Table of Contents
1. LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD 3
2. GLOSSARY 4
3. INTRODUCTION TO DISEC 5
4. INTRODUCING THE DISPUTE 5
5. DETAILS OF THE DISPUTE 6
6. HISTORY AND PAST EVENTS 7
7. TIMELINE OF EVENTS 9
8. ARTICLES FROM TREATIES / CONVENTIONS SIGNED BY MEMBER NATIONS IN THE
PAST 13
9. BLOC POSITIONS 14
10. QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST ANSWER 17
11. BIBLIOGRAPHY 18
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1. LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
DEAR DELEGATES,
The Executive Board of the Disarmament and International Security Committee would like to
extend a warm welcome to each one of you. It is an honour to be chairing the at the first
edition of IGNIS Model United Nations E-Conference, and to be discussing something as
pressing as the Situation in the South China Sea is just an icing on the cake.
This agenda is one of the most active topics in global history and will continue to be an area of
concern for the major world leaders and their navies. This committee will look into the
disarmament of the region keeping world peace in mind and also simultaneously try to satisfy
the claims of major claimants.
This guide is again a documented background research to help you gauge the depth of this
agenda and to help you understand the agenda better; but this guide in no way is supposed to
cover the entire agenda for your allocation/nation.
We wish you all the best for the committee session and with your research. Feel free to reach
out to any of us in case of any queries.
We at DISEC, are looking forward to a fruitful discussion.
Thanks, and Regards,
PRATINAV DEB YUDHISHTIR SINGH DIYA MAHESH
(CHAIR) (CO-CHAIR) (CO-CHAIR)
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2. GLOSSARY
• International Transport Route: an international transport route carries substantial
international traffic and facilitates links between countries
• Territorial Sea: the territorial sea may not exceed 12 nautical miles from the baselines and
is considered as part of the land territory of the coastal state (UNCLOS, art. 3)
• Contiguous Zone: (hereafter, CZ) corresponds to the area extending up to 24 nautical
miles from the territorial sea baselines limit (UNCLOS, art. 33)
• Exclusive Economic Zone: An area of coastal waters 200 nautical miles from shore, as
prescribed by the UNCLOS. It refers to the rights that a country has regarding maritime
exploration and use of marine resources. In the EEZ, a country has sovereign rights,
jurisdiction regarding the establishment and use of artificial islands and related
infrastructure, and the protection of the marine environment.
• Nine-dash Line: A dashed line drawn on a 1940’s map that represents China’s territorial
claims in the South China Sea. At times, it has also been referred to as the 10-dash and
11-dash line. The area laps around a point approximately 1800km south of Hainan Island,
China’s southernmost province.
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: the UNCLOS entered into force on
16 November 1994, 12 months after the required 60 ratifications as prescribed by its article
308
• Innocent Passage: A measure codified in the United Nations Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
which allows vessels to pass through territorial waters and EEZs so long as they do not
violate the peace and security of the area. This includes all shipping and certain military
vessels.
• Article 17 (UNCLOS): Right of Innocent Passage
• Article 18 (UNCLOS): Meaning of passage
• Article 19 (UNCLOS): Meaning of Innocent passage
• Article 21 (UNCLOS): Laws and regulations of the costal State relating to innocent
passage
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3. INTRODUCTION TO DISEC
The United Nations General Assembly First Committee, also known as the Disarmament
and International Security Council (DISEC), is one of the 6 main committees at the UN
General Assembly. It was founded in 1945, with all 193 UN members are part of this
committee, having an equal vote and sub-bodies of the Disarmament and International
Security committee also negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements. As stated in
Chapter IV, Article 11 of the UN Charter, the mandate of DISEC is “to promote the
establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion
for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources”. However, it is very
important to note that DISEC cannot specifically mandate individual state action,
sanctions or armed interventions, however, they can recommend discussed action to the
Security Council. Common topics discussed at DISEC include, but are not limited to:
weapons of mass destruction, cyber warfare, illicit arms trade, etc.
4. INTRODUCING THE DISPUTE
The South China Sea is a body of water stretching
from the Malacca Straits to Taiwan, neighboring the
coasts of eight sovereign states: The People’s
Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the
Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore,
and Vietnam.
The whole of South China Sea consists of islands that
can be roughly divided into two chains: the Paracel
Islands (Hoang Sa) that are being contested for by the
People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and
the Spratly Islands (Truong Sa) whose sovereignty is
being disputed by the People’s Republic of China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and
Vietnam. Most of the islands are uninhabited, however, have been occupied by Naval forces
of various countries contributing to the deadlock situation.
The South China Sea is considered one of the world’s busiest maritime channels and is
subject to several overlapping territorial disputes involving China, Vietnam, the Philippines,
Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.
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The conflict has remained unresolved for decades but has emerged as a flashpoint in China-
US relations in Asia.
Mainland China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan all claim overlapping
areas of the South China Sea. In the absence of consensus regarding legitimate jurisdiction,
claimants have moved to occupy and counteract each other for the past 70 years. However,
legal and military maneuvering in the region has intensified recently, with conflicting claims
coming to ahead.
The strategic importance of East Asian ocean waters has been rising in recent years. The
main factors boosting the strategic value of this maritime area are: (1) access to oceanic
energy resources, (2) territorial conflicts in the South China Sea, and (3) buildup of naval
military power by countries in the region. Many countries in the region, including China, have
been pouring effort into strengthening their naval power.
Although China and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are working
towards a “code of conduct” for the South China Sea that is legally binding and that creates a
structure for confidence-building measures, this does not appear likely to have much effect on
the most fundamental problems in the South China Sea, namely territorial issues, fishing
rights, access to natural resources, and naval buildup.
5. DETAILS OF THE DISPUTE
The source of the South China Seas dispute is traceable to the 1951 San Francisco Treaty,
which failed to stipulate possession of the Spratly islands when Japan lost its title to them after
defeat in the Second World War (art. 2 (f): "Japan renounces all right, title and claim to the
Spratly Islands and to the Paracel Islands"). The chain of 200 islets, coral reefs and sea
mounts that constitute the Spratly and its northern extension the Paracel islands spread across
250,000 square kilometers of the South China Sea, a vast continental shelf that constitutes a
potentially rich source of oil and natural gas. The Spratly’s contested ownership developed into
an international conflict when from the mid-1970s a number of claimants began extracting
resources from the seabed contiguous to their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ). China and
four ASEAN states Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam all laid claim and/or
occupied part of the islands in the South China Sea.
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To enforce its claims, Beijing primarily employs a growing number of non-military naval ships
and some aircraft variously attached to its so-called Five Dragons. These include the Border
Control Department’s China Maritime Police, the Maritime Safety Administration, the Fisheries
Law Enforcement Command or FLEC (under the Fisheries Administration Bureau), and the
General Administration of Customs and the State Oceanic Administration (particularly its China
Maritime Surveillance agency, or CMS). Among these entities, the FLEC and CMS possess
the most vessels, with around forty over 1,000 tons. A small minority of these vessels are
apparently armed with heavy machine guns. However, both agencies have also reportedly
received a few decommissioned warships, with uncertain (if any) armament. Overall, the CMS,
the most capable enforcement entity regarding maritime issues, intends to add 36 new ships in
the 600-, 1,000-, and 1,500-ton category by 2015.
These ships undertake a variety of operations, including patrolling, exercising, escorting fishing
fleets, and responding to perceived violations of claimed territories and waters under Chinese
authority.
In addition, China’s large fleet of fishing vessels often serves to demonstrate China’s claim to
maritime areas by operating in disputed waters. These fishing vessels for the most part
operate seasonally and apparently not always under the control of a coordinating agency.
The PLA Navy (PLAN) does not take a direct role in enforcing China’s maritime territorial
claims. As indicated above, Beijing draws a strong line between civilian and military entities in
managing such claims, with the former “white-hulled” vessels of the CMS and FLEC playing
the lead role. PLAN warships at times provide “stand-off” support during actions that could
escalate. However, the overall intent is to avoid militarizing disputes, unless of course an
opponent employs military assets. In such a case, Beijing will almost certainly respond
similarly, in a classic “tit-for-tat” manner.
Some PLAN vessels have been involved in joint civilian-military maritime exercises in the
vicinity of disputed areas, although these activities often focus on non-belligerent missions
such as salvage or search and rescue.
6. HISTORY AND PAST EVENTS
The dispute regarding the South China Sea is partly rooted in the colonial history of the region
that dates back to decades. In 1947, Beijing came out with its nine-dash line (originally an 11-
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dash line) on their map, marking the territory in the South China sea they claimed. The line
roughly extended 1118 miles (1800 kilometers) from Hainan Island to the waters off equatorial
Borneo. The issue with this was that the area that China marked overlapped with many of the
claims of the neighboring countries involved. One of those countries, Philippines, sued Beijing
in 2013 using a United Nations tribunal alleging a violation of sovereign rights. When in 2016,
the permanent court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled against China, China reacted with
outrage and disregard to this judgment.
Boycotting the ruling, China continued to assert
China’s U-Shaped Claim unyielding control over the disputed region. For
example, China has seized land formations, reefs,
reclaimed land to make the existing islands larger as
well as built artificial islands of their own. The country
has placed oil rigs in parts of the sea that Vietnam
also claims, making it unfavorable for them to fish in
the area.
What is more worrying to the claimants is that China
was making these islands large enough to
accommodate small military installations. Along with
building an airstrip, in 2016, it was discovered that
China had deployed air to surface missile systems on
Woody islands, a part of the Paracel’s chain. They went on to install weapons, anti-missile
systems and anti-aircraft systems on all 7 artificial islands built by them despite statements by
China that there were no intentions of militarising these islands and that they were meant for
the purpose of fishing and ecological research.
While many claimants have been passive regarding the militarisation of the islands, the US,
accompanied by the Philippines, Japan and India conducted several naval exercises to
monitor the steps of China closely. By 2016, the US had conducted 4 freedom of navigation
operations in the South China Sea. China continues to accuse the US of aggression and
flexing its military muscles under the excuse of carrying out operations to promote freedom of
navigation.
In 2020, China has set up two more districts in the region of the Paracels and Spratly islands,
which are also claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines and Malaysia. The new districts Xisha
and Nansha will be under the control of Sansha, a city created by China in the South China
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Sea. Vietnam has publicly voiced its concerns about the threat this poses to the already
disputed area.
In the current scenario of the COVID 19 pandemic, China has been accused of using the
situation to their advantage to continue militarising the South China Sea. Simultaneously, the
US maintains its deployment of warships in the region to supervise the ongoing activities.
7. TIMELINE OF EVENTS
1953: The People's Republic of China published the map with 9 lines claiming the South China
Sea region as part of China entirely
1954: French claims to the Paracel Islands transferred to Vietnam
1970: China strategically occupies Amphitrite Group of the Paracel Island
1971: The Philippines announces claim to islands adjacent to its territory in the Spratly islands,
which they named Kalayaan
1974: The Battle of the Paracel Islands, China takes over the Crescent group of Paracel
islands from
Vietnam
1982 DECEMBER 10th- United Nations Convention of Laws of Sea was established
1983: Malaysia takes over the Spratlys of Swallow Reef thus, gaining weight in the contest
1992: China passes a law declaring the entire South China Sea as its territory, triggering
protests from around the region
1996: China, Malaysia and Brunei join the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS)
1999: Taiwan stated that "legally, historically, geographically, or in reality", all of the South
China Sea and Spratly islands were Taiwan's territory
2000: Philippine soldiers seized Chinese fishing at the Palawan Islands. They killed one and
arrested seven fishermen.
2009: The Pentagon complained of Chinese ships harassing US surveillance ship
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2011: USA and Vietnam engage in joint naval exercises and the Philippines officially started
referring to the South China Sea as the "West Philippine Sea"
2012: Vietnam passed a law, demarcating Vietnamese sea borders, in order to include the
Spratly and Paracel Islands.
2014: The Philippines invoked the compulsory settlement of dispute clause under the Law of
the Sea Convention, by submitting a case to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague
in its case against China over competing the South China Sea claims.
2014: China released a new with ten dash line in the steed of the nine-dash line symbolizes
their unfettered aggression for their claimed territory in the region .
2015: APRIL - China was in the middle of transforming Mischief Reef and Fiery Cross Reef
into artificial islands, in addition to creating other small islands in the region. According to the
U.N., artificial islands do not afford the occupying nation territorial waters.
2015: SEPTEMBER - China completed a 3,125-meter runway on the newly created Fiery
Cross reef.
2015: OCTOBER - USS Lassen passed through waters around the artificial islands that China
has claimed our sovereignty.
2016: Taiwan president visited constructed islands, and drew a rebuke from a fellow ally, the
United States of American.
2016: China deployed advanced surface to air missile systems on Woody Islands, part of
Paracel’s chain according to Taiwan and the US.
2016: Vietnam lodged a formal complaint about the surface to air missile systems on Woody
Islands.
2016: Arbitration Tribunal in The Hague rejected China’s claim and 9 dash line, saying they
have no legal basis.
2016: US stepped up military patrols - increased US littoral combat ships, jet fighters, and
surveillance planes near Chinese-held islands
2016: China installed weapons, anti-missile systems, anti-aircraft systems on all 7 artificial
islands built by them. Chinese continued to insist the islands exist for fishing and science,
ecology, marine science.
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2016: Chinese Naval Warship seized an underwater drone deployed by the US. The United
States claimed, “Naval Glider” was to check water salinity and temperatures to map
underwater channels. The Chinese handed back the Drone
2016: Japan deployed JS Izumo helicopter carrier, joining naval exercises with the US and
Indian Navy.
2017: Philippine’s president ordered troops to all disputed islands, also protested against
China’s movements
2017: Two Chinese fighter jets carried out what the US military described as an
"unprofessional" intercept of a US aircraft designed to detect radiation while it was flying over
the East China Sea. Sukhoi SU 30 approaches WC 135 upside down flying as close as 46
meters
2017: USS Dewey, the navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of the island built up by the
South China Sea
2018: China expressed anger for the US repeatedly sending warships “without permission”
USS Decatur sailed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs in Spratlys. China
called the move
provocative
2018: Two American warships sail in Taiwan straits, China was angered, vowed to defend
Taiwan.
2019: US-guided missiles Preble and Chung Hoon travelled again in 12 nautical miles of
Spratlys
region.
2019: MAY - Russian Oil giant, Rosneft, backed Hanoi in its clash with Beijing
2019: NOVEMBER - The US provided Vietnam with a ship to boost South China Sea patrols
2020: JANUARY - Indonesia rejected China’s claims over the South China Sea
2020: APRIL - Chinese and Malaysian ships involved in a standoff
2020: APRIL - Vietnam protested at China’s new administrative units in the South China Sea
2020: APRIL 21ST - Two U.S. Warships entered the China- Malaysia standoff zone in the
South China Sea
2020: APRIL 21ST - China says Vietnam’s Claims are illegal, and “doomed to fall”
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2020: APRIL 22ND - Australia joined U.S. ships in the South China Sea
2020: APRIL 23RD - Malaysia called for a peaceful end to the standoff
2020: MAY 15TH - Chinese ship left Malaysian waters after a month-long standoff
2020: MAY 28TH - U.S. Navy sailed an Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer, USS
Mustin near the Paracel Islands
2020: JUNE 10th- USA deploys 2 nuclear powered aircraft carriers, USS Ronald Reagan and
USS Nimitz, in a disputed area, after USS Theodore Roosevelt had to pull into Guam, due to
the coronavirus outbreak.
2020: AUGUST 25th- The USA blacklists 26 Chinese companies, that played a role in the
making of the artificial islands, and militarizing them.
2020: AUGUST 28th- The Pentagon says that China launched 4 medium-range ballistics,
between Hainan Island and the Paracel Islands.
2020: AUGUST 30th- After the Galwan Clash between China and India, India secretly deployed
warships in the sea.
2020: SEPTEMBER 16th- A 3-day confrontation, within the Indonesian EEZ, between an
Indonesian patrol ship and a Chinese coast guard.
2020: OCTOBER: Australia joins India, USA and Japan in participating in the Malabar
Exercises.
2021: JANUARY- USA imposes sanctions on Chinese companies. Oil company NOOC was
added to the list of banned firms.
2021: FEBRUARY- A French nuclear submarine is patrolled in the South China Sea. French
naval vessels also planned to take part in joint exercises with the US and Japanese militaries.
2021: MARCH 21st: Philippines calls China to remove over 200 ships that it says are
encroaching into territorial water and violating maritime rights.
2021: APRIL- The UK’s HMS Queen Elizabeth and the carrier strike group which includes 18
F-35B stealth fighters, two destroyers, two frigates and two support ships will have to sail
through the South China Sea on its way to East Asia. They vow to stay away from Taiwan.
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8. ARTICLES FROM TREATIES /
CONVENTIONS SIGNED BY MEMBER
NATIONS IN THE PAST
1. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):
Art. 17 (Right of innocent passage): Subject to this Convention, ships of all States, whether
coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
Art. 20 (Submarines and other underwater vehicles): In the territorial sea, submarines and
other underwater vehicles are required to navigate on the surface and to show their flag.
Art. 30 (Non-compliance by warships with the laws and regulations of the coastal State):
If any warship does not comply with the laws and regulations of the coastal State concerning
passage through the territorial sea and disregards any request for compliance therewith which
is made to it, the coastal State may require it to leave the territorial sea immediately.
Art. 31 (Responsibility of the flag State for damage caused by a warship): The flag State
shall bear international responsibility for any loss or damage to the coastal State resulting from
the non-compliance by a warship or other government ship operated for non-commercial
purposes with the laws and regulations of the coastal State concerning passage through the
territorial sea or with the provisions of this Convention or other rules of international law
Art. 38, (2) (Definition of a Transit Passage): Transit passage means the exercise in
accordance with this Part of the freedom of navigation and overflight solely for the purpose of
continuous and expeditious transit of the strait between one part of the high seas or an
exclusive economic zone and another part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone.
However, the requirement of continuous and expeditious transit does not preclude passage
through the strait for the purpose of entering, leaving or returning from a State bordering the
strait, subject to the conditions of entry to that State.
Art. 40 (Research and survey activities): During transit passage, foreign ships, including
marine scientific research and hydrographic survey ships, may not carry out any research or
survey activities without the prior authorization of the States bordering straits.
Art. 87, (a) (Freedom of the high seas): The high seas are open to all States, whether
coastal or landlocked. Freedom of the high seas is exercised under the conditions laid down by
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this Convention and by other rules of international law. It comprises, inter alia, both for coastal
and land-locked States: (a) freedom of navigation
2. Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC): This resolution
was signed by the Governments of the Member States of ASEAN and the
Government of the People’s Republic of China in 2012
Art. 3: The Parties reaffirm their respect for and commitment to the freedom of navigation in
and overflight above the South China Sea as provided for by the universally recognized
principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Art. 4: The Parties concerned undertake to resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes
by peaceful means, without resorting to the threat or use of force, through friendly
consultations and negotiations by sovereign states directly concerned, in accordance with
universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea
Art. 7: The Parties concerned stand ready to continue their consultations and dialogues
concerning relevant issues, through modalities to be agreed by them, including regular
consultations on the observance of this Declaration, for the purpose of promoting good
neighborliness and transparency, establishing harmony, mutual understanding and
cooperation, and facilitating peaceful resolution of disputes among them
Art. 10: The Parties concerned reaffirm that the adoption of a code of conduct in the South
China Sea would further promote peace and stability in the region and agree to work, on the
basis of consensus, towards the eventual attainment of this objective.
9. BLOC POSITIONS
1. The People's Republic of China
China’s notoriously well known ‘9 dash line’ covers the Spratley, Paracel islands as well as
other areas. The region is considered as undisputed Chinese territory according to the nation.
They back their claim using historical data, stating that the area was first discovered, named
and explored by them over 2000 years ago during the Han dynasty. Even though it was
rejected by the arbitration tribunal in 2016, China still disputes the region and has completely
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disregarded the tribunal's decision stating that it has no right to interfere with politics. China
further claims that the islands belong to them after world war 2 due to the Cairo declaration of
1943 and the Potsdam declaration of 1945, emphasizing that the islands occupied by Japan
during the war should be returned to their rightful owner, China with regards to the South
China Sea.
China blames the other claimant nations as well the United States for interfering and
escalating the situation. It has also voiced its concerns about the United States Freedom of
Navigation Program, calling it unlawful as it infringes on China’s territory. It further believes that
the Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) has not made any new
advancements to come up with a solution to the issue after signing it in 2002. The country has
called for peaceful debate despite militarising and developing several landmasses in the
region.
2. The Philippines
Despite the ongoing issues in the South China Sea, the Philippines has tried to improve
relations with China in order to ease tensions and promote stability and confidence. China
however continues expanding its territory and creating new artificial islands from reefs by
adding land.
In 2016, the arbitration was won by The Philippines, and recently, The Philippines has also
accused China of territorial incursions by hundreds of its vessels in the Philippine exclusive
economic zone, calling it illegal presence of Chinese vessels claiming that the vessels are
armed with militia and suggested that the nation is not interested in fishing as much as it is
concerned about oil and mineral drilling. After hundreds of Chinese militia boats were
surrounding the Spratly Islands and Whitsun Reef, local Philippine boats were forced out of the
area, causing the Philippines to retreat. Due to the Philippines trying to strengthen its ties with
China, Mr. Duterte has now faced domestic pressure for going soft on China and its ludicrous
claim. To try and fight back, Mr. Duterte has warned China that it is prepared to deploy its navy
to reassert its claims in the region. The Philippines has however received millions of doses of
China’s vaccine, a lot of them as donations in light of the coronavirus pandemic which has
worsened Philippine’s threat against China and put it in a difficult position.
3. The United States of America
While the United States of America does not claim any land in the South China Sea, it has
strong relations with the Philippines which is a claimant state. USA also being a superpower
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has interest in most geo-political including the South China Sea dispute and often tries to
become a moderator to ensure trade lines remain open and shipping is not affected. It is
however conducting joint military exercises with the Philippines and deploys vessels like
surveillance planes and combat ships for the purpose of patrolling the region.
The USA has sent vessels close to Islands claimed by China to ensure that the right of
innocent passage is not disrupted in its freedom of navigation program Furthermore, USA
president Joe Biden has also stated that China is its "most serious competitor". Where
recently, USS Ralph Johnson sailed within 12 nautical miles of Cuarteron Reef and Fiery
Cross Reef which are controlled by China. In 2019, when two US guided-missile destroyers,
Preble and Chung Hoon were within 12 nautical miles of islands claimed by China, China
stated that the US violated their sovereignty and undermined “peace, security and good order
in the relevant seas” at a time of tense relations between the two. The USA on the other hand,
said that the “innocent passage” was to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve
access to the waterways as governed by international law." While the US claims that they are
neutral in this, it is in their interest to know what sort of major power China becomes.
4. Vietnam
Vietnam has been clashing with China in the South China Sea for over 50 years laying claim to
the Spratly and Paracel Islands. It has stated that the islands are within their 200 nautical mile
exclusive economic zone. They also claim that in ancient times several expeditions were sent
to the islands. The islands have also been part of the French colonies which rightfully belong to
Vietnam after their decolonisation. However, China has been very aggressive towards its
territory in the region which makes most efforts by Vietnam ineffective. Having lost several
islands to China in 1974, their position is even weaker than before. They have also claimed
that several vessels funded by China have made it impossible for Vietnam to challenge the
area without using any military action. Due to ineffective action, Vietnam is also facing
domestic pressure as there have been protests against China and its control over the South
China Sea.
Trying to retaliate, Vietnam has been conducting joint military activities with the United States
of America. It has also been quietly building up islands and islets in the region such as West
reef cementing its claims in the area. The West reef has seen a lot of new constructions,
including several coastal defence installations, administrative buildings, concrete pads and
bunkers.
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5. Malaysia
While ties with China peaked in 2016, Malaysia to this day has tried to sort things out
bilaterally and is the most peaceful towards China, even buying military equipment from them.
Malaysia has also let China infiltrate its EEZ multiple times before and became the first country
in ASEAN to normalise its relations with them. However, after a shift in the political leader in
2020, Malaysia has become more adamant about its territory in the area. Instead of trying to
appease China, Malaysia has now leaned closer to non-alignment. Ties with China have also
been slowly deteriorating with Malaysia rejecting China’s expansive maritime claims in 2020
and standing its ground solidifying its claim over the 200 nautical mile EEZ.
Despite having recently made moves against China, Malaysia still relies on China in terms of
trade. Malaysia is also still facing the effects it will face going against China and so has tried to
play it safe and tried not anger the superpower.
10. QUESTIONS A RESOLUTION MUST
ANSWER
1. Are the claims made in the South China Sea legitimate by all member nations?
2. What protocols must be considered if any other countries’ vessel infiltrates a
member state’s Exclusive Economic Zone?
3. How does the involvement of non-claimant states in the disputed waters affect the
region?
4. Exploring the possibility of the demilitarisation of the South China Sea.
5. What are the methods the committee can explore to reduce Naval Exercise in the
South China Sea?
6. How can all the resources in the South China Sea be used for a collective benefit?
7. How can the committee consider all valid claims equally?
8. What should be done about states building artificial islands, with the intention of
militarization? Should there be a framework in place, or a total restriction?
9. What methods should be put in place to make sure states follow the DOC
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11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
[Link]
guyen_0506_vietnam.pdf
[Link]
11591780654
[Link]
[Link]
china-sea
[Link]
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