For decades, China’s presence in the South China Sea has rattled neighboring countries and engaged nations in a territorial dispute. The dispute over the South China Sea has contributed to increased diplomatic relations among countries like China, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Although most of the South China Sea is classified as international waters, China has “claimed” majority of the sea as its own. The UN has attempted to prevent a war between the countries, but China’s military might and thriving economy have made it a formidable world power. Taiwan has especially been an area of concern for many nations around the world. Since 1949, China has claimed Taiwan’s sovereignty and the two have been locked in a heated cold war since then. Any country that opens up diplomatic relations with Taiwan has faced pressure from the Chinese government.
Now, the Trump administration has decided to take a stand against Beijing. Recently, the United States passed the Taiwan Travel Act, which allows diplomatic visits for both US and Taiwanese officials. This move has boosted diplomatic relations with the Taiwanese government, but it has angered Chinese authorities. President Xi Jinping issued a statement condemning the legislation. The state-run Chinese tabloid, the Global Times, wrote an editorial condemning the legislation and even threatened a takeover of Taiwan with excessive military force. The newspaper stated, “The Chinese mainland has repeated that it would not tolerate ‘Taiwan’s independence’ and the Trump administration should not underestimate Beijing’s determination to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.” According to Beijing, Taiwan is a “wayward province” that has to be placed under Chinese control. The US and international organizations like the UN are barring this from happening, so China has decided to up the ante with the South China Sea and the military.
China’s military has grown greatly over the last few years because of Jinping’s policy and agenda for control over southeast Asia and the South China Sea. In 2017, reports showed man-made islands being created in the South China Sea. According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), these islands are being used for Chinese military and naval purposes.
Ashley Townshend, a researcher at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, stated, “Beijing intends to turn these artificial outposts into military footholds that will provide it with power projection capability right across the South China Sea…these facilities would significantly complicate US war plans and access to the South China Sea at acceptable levels of cost and risk.”
This aggressive behavior from the Chinese has struck fear into many countries in the region. With this kind of military efficiency in the South China Sea, Beijing can easily overpower any country in the area into submission, meaning Taiwan could end up facing militaristic pressure from mainland China. The Taiwan Travel Act already jeopardized this tense situation and with a possible trade war looming over China and the US, the situation could worsen.
China’s government has also shown no signs of backing down. President Jinping gave a speech to the 13th National People’s Congress warning he would be ready to fight the bloody battles against China’s enemies. Jinping has also become president for life after new legislation was passed that removes term limits. This new nationalist ideology will only propel China to the top and establish their dominance in southeast Asia. Hong Kong’s autonomous rule has been under threat by Beijing and now Taiwan faces the same situation. The Trump administration added fuel to the fire that could engulf all of southeast Asia.
