South China Research Paper

China is a growing regional power with one of the most debated conflicts in the international community located right off its coast. The South China Sea is a section of the Pacific Ocean that is semi isolated due to its proximately to the surrounding geographic areas, such as islands and peninsulas, making it a marginal sea. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary a marginal sea is one that, “waters adjacent to a state and under its jurisdiction and extending outward from the coast about 31⁄2statute miles,” however, whose jurisdiction does that area fall under. The sea is classified as being between Malacca Straights to the Strait of Taiwan. Significant regional competitors for the maritime control include; China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines, with yet still smaller regions laying claim too. Among some other non-direct bodies of interest include the United States and Japan. So why …show more content…
These advancements draw particular concern due to the nature of exceeding international law. Countries have begun to claim Exclusive Economic Zones, set up requirement of navigation notification, and create coastal baselines along with potential military establishments in international water. While some countries are making significant efforts to adhere to with the Law of the Sea Convention, significant challengers to the United States’ long-standing U.S. Freedom of Navigation Policy, like China have advanced their military to secure their claims within the region. With this advancement China has stated that, “indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters and enjoys sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the relevant waters as well as the seabed and subsoil thereof.” This aggressive behavior by China has left many states in the region and the United States with an unclear idea of what China’s maritime claims will lead