[Global Issue+] China's 'Gudanseon' Calling US Aircraft Carrier to the South China Sea

On the 7th, the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan conducting training with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels in the South China Sea area [Image source: U.S. Navy website/www.navy.mil]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As tensions escalate between the United States and China, concerns over a localized conflict are growing following reports that the U.S. has recently dispatched an aircraft carrier strike group to the South China Sea and commenced training exercises. China has also sent its own carrier strike group to conduct drills, engaging in a show of military force. The South China Sea dispute itself is known to stem from China's unilateral claim of sovereignty over the area, known as the "Nine-Dash Line (Gudanseon)," which predates the current major points of contention between the U.S. and China, such as the Hong Kong situation and the responsibility debate over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 10th, since the 4th, the U.S. military has deployed a carrier strike group including two large aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, to the South China Sea to conduct training exercises. In response, the Chinese military is also conducting drills in the South China Sea. SCMP points out that the main cause of the disputes in the South China Sea region lies in China's hegemonic claim that over 80% of the South China Sea area is its territorial waters. China asserts that most of the sea routes heading north from the South China Sea to Northeast Asia fall within its territorial waters and claims that U.S. warships should not pass without Chinese permission. The U.S., however, rejects this unilateral territorial claim and continues military operations in the international waters of the region under the banner of "freedom of navigation."

China bases its claim that most of the South China Sea is its territorial waters on the "Nine-Dash Line" it declared in 1953. The Nine-Dash Line is a boundary line that China unilaterally claims as its maritime territorial boundary in the South China Sea. This line encompasses over 80% of the South China Sea, including the territorial waters of the Philippines, Vietnam, and even northern Malaysia. Not only the U.S. but also most Southeast Asian countries oppose this claim.

The appearance of the "Nine-Dash Line (九段線/red line marking)" that emerged when the Chinese government distributed official maps in 1953 (Photo by www.nansha.org.cn)

However, China has consistently maintained that the Nine-Dash Line represents its maritime territorial boundary. Despite opposition from neighboring countries, China has been building artificial islands, military ports, and missile bases across various island areas in the South China Sea, heightening tensions among Southeast Asian nations. The Chinese government argues that when it declared the Nine-Dash Line in 1953, neighboring countries did not react significantly, and that their opposition only emerged decades later, thus claiming a stronger moral ground.

In fact, when China unilaterally declared the Nine-Dash Line, most Southeast Asian countries were not independent nations. They were largely under colonial rule by Western powers such as Britain, France, and the United States, and the period was just after World War II, marked by a significant power vacuum. The focus was more on internal issues, so there was little attention paid to China's Nine-Dash Line claim.

Moreover, throughout Asia, including this region, the concept of maritime territorial sovereignty did not exist before the late 19th century. While there was a historical concept of sovereignty over important islands long governed by a country, no nation claimed sovereignty over seas, uninhabited islands, or reefs. Until the 19th century, the South China Sea was a domain for pirates from China, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian regions. At that time, even China implemented a policy of relocating residents from isolated islands to the mainland to prevent civilian casualties. Since East Asian countries had no history of long-term negotiations or treaties to delineate maritime boundaries, there were no established boundary lines that could serve as historical grounds.

The first country to introduce the Western-style concept of maritime territorial sovereignty to East Asia was Imperial Japan. Without negotiations with other countries, Japan forcibly occupied vacant islands across Asia and began applying the Western international law principle of "terra nullius" (occupation of unclaimed land). Even after Japan's defeat, this method of military occupation had a significant impact on East Asian countries. It instilled the perception that necessary islands should first be militarily occupied and then strongly claimed as national territory. In other words, force took precedence over law.

This regional situation, initially exploited by Imperial Japan, is now being exploited by China, and the involvement of the U.S. has further complicated matters. The South China Sea issue serves as an important reference case for maritime territorial disputes across East Asia, including South Korea's Dokdo issue, drawing close attention from various countries. There are concerns that the arms race among China's neighboring countries will intensify further.