Paper: GS – II, Subject: International Relations, Topic: Global Issues, Issue: Scarborough Shoal.
Context:
Scarborough Shoal is a highly contested maritime feature in the South China Sea, triggering diplomatic tensions primarily between China and the Philippines due to overlapping territorial claims and strategic importance.
Key Takeaways:
About Scarborough Shoal:
- It is a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, claimed by both China and the Philippines as part of their territory.
- It is located some 220 kilometers west of the Philippines’ Island of Luzon.
- It is the largest atoll in the South China Sea, submerged at high tide with few rocks above sea level.
What is the Dispute?
- China’s claim: China, which now refers to the shoal as Huangyan Island, makes a historical claim to the area, stating that they can trace their ownership of the area back to the Yuan Dynasty of the 1200s.
- Philippines claim: The Philippines claim the area on the basis of geography, as it is much closer to the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, which contains the capital, Manila, but lies over 500 miles from China.
- It is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Commercial Significance:
- The deep waters around the shoal make it a productive fishing area, rich in marine life, and the lagoon also contains many commercially valuable shellfish and sea cucumbers.
Conclusion:
Scarborough Shoal is a major flashpoint in the South China Sea, where China’s plan for a nature reserve is seen as a move to reinforce its territorial claims, drawing strong protests from the Philippines. The dispute raises concern about militarization, but conflict is tempered by the Philippines’ limited military capacity and U.S. security commitments. The situation highlights the need for diplomacy, international law, and cooperative resource management to preserve stability and prevent escalation.
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