Context:
Recent talks between Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines and Indian Foreign Minister urged importance of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.
About South China Sea:
- Location – western Pacific Ocean.
- Bordered by – Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
- Connections –
- Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea
- Luzon Strait with the Philippine Sea
- 3 Archipelagoes – Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Pratas Islands and Macclesfield’s Bank and Scarborough Shoal.
- Disputes related to South China Sea:
- China’s Nine Dash Line: Defines area claimed by China – by far the largest portion of the Sea.
- Scarborough Shoal: Claimed both by the Philippines and China (known as Huangyan Island in China).
- Spratlys: Occupied by claimants, which consist of Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, China and Malaysia.
- Paracel Islands: Subject of overlapping claims by China, Vietnam and Taiwan.
What is the Island Chain Strategy?
A geographical security concept crafted by the United States in the 1940s to deter China and the Soviet Union’s maritime ambitions.
About United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):
- It is an international agreement that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities
- Adopted in 1982.
- Also known as Law of the Sea.
- 5 main zones –
- Internal Waters
- Territorial Sea
- Contiguous Zone
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
- High Seas
- It is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces.
- It provides a different legal status to different maritime zones.
- It provides the backbone for offshore governance by coastal states and those navigating the oceans.
- It provides specific guidance for states’ rights and responsibilities in the five concentric zones.
Source: The Hindu