The South China Sea: A Critical Commercial Gateway

The South China Sea is the most famous archipelago and a critical commercial gateway globally. It is in the western part of the Pacific Ocean and looks like an arm of the ocean in Southeast Asia. This body of water stretches from the Malacca and Karimata Straits to the Taiwan Strait. The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) says the South China Sea is south of China and the East of Vietnam. In that order, the East and west of the group of islands are the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra.

Reasons Why the South China Sea Is Strategically Important

The South China Sea is a normal part of the ocean. Because of many islands and waterways, it requires a significant portion of water to maintain. This region of the Pacific Ocean may have seabed riches that cannot be drained. Whoever is in command of this has great power.

For the most part, powerful countries now struggle for strategic dominance rather than economic or military might. Geostrategic significance cannot be ignored when considering a site’s relevance in today’s neoliberal and linked globe. The geography of the South China Sea is a good example of a critical commercial gateway. In recent years, merchant shipping lanes in the South China Sea have grown to be the busiest and most important. Critical commercial gateway ship traffic across this body of water is second only to the Panama Canal.

This area’s commerce routes have been shown repeatedly to be very congested. For example, a statistical analysis in 2016 found that the South China Sea commerce routes moved a third of all boats worldwide. These ships and cargo moved almost $3.4 trillion in money. In this $3.4 trillion value of merchant shipping items, about 40% of China’s whole trade was included. The South China Sea’s maritime trade route accounts for around 6 % of the United States’ international trade. 90% of the oil imported by China, Japan, and South Korea goes via this area, a critical commercial gateway. This may be seen in the South China Sea’s importance to global commerce routes.

Because of their strategic importance, China and other territorial entities are battling to control these maritime waterways. Suppose a sovereign nation-state gains control of even a small fraction of the South China Sea’s strategically critical commercial gateway zones. In that case, it will greatly impact international trade agreements. As part of China’s drive to become the world’s most powerful country, the Chinese government has long claimed sovereignty over the South China Sea. Control of the sea’s sparkling waterways is in their best interest since they have a financial incentive. The whole South China Sea is Chinese territory on the PRC’s official chart, and the “Nine Dash Line” signifies China’s dominance in the area.

The rest of the world has only lately begun to recognise and criticize China’s growth as a key participant in global affairs for the controversial line it crossed in December 1947. Until recently, the boundary has been neglected for almost 50 years. Hillary Clinton, President Obama’s Secretary of State, first mentioned the issue in 2010. Both parties have stated that their assertions are valid when this matter has lately come up. Since China is so worried about the strategic importance of its islands in the South China Sea, it has started to equip them. The construction of a military base on the Spratly Islands is an excellent instance of this. It began in 2014, and China is still doing it now.

Reasons Why the South China Sea Is Economically Important

The South China Sea’s importance and potential for economic expansion were obvious. This region is vital to the global business and sea routes equation. Ports, a critical commercial gateway in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, may be reached by ship through the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea. Goods travel north to south throughout this transaction. The South China Sea is a commercially significant portion because of the flow of money and goods across these waters. There are a lot of additional aspects to consider while evaluating the economic importance of this area and its strategic location. Natural resources that have yet to be identified and exploited may be found on the bottom of the South China Sea.

Conclusion:

The violence that erupted in and around the South China Sea has had disastrous repercussions, not just for the area but also for the rest of the globe. The globe is getting ready for a nuclear explosion at any moment. Still, the area wants to investigate the untamed and limitless natural treasures buried under the terrible sea. In addition, the global commercial flow that utilises the ocean’s critical commercial gateway ship routes is at risk and jeopardised because of the continuous war.