TheU.S.hasalwaysadvocatedfreedomofnavigation,andgonetogreatlengthstodisputemaritimeclaimsthatitconsiders“excessive.”ThemotivationforinvolvingChinainitsFreedomofNavigationprogram,however,istochallengethecountry’sjurisdictionovertheairspaceinthemaritimeexclusiveeconomiczone(EEZ),aswellasChina’sattemptstorestrictflightsbyforeignaircraftwithinthelimitsoftheairdefenseidentificationzone.TherehasbeenagreaterfocusontheSouthChinaSeainrecentyears.
Thefactis,however,thatInternationalLawimposesdifferentlimitationsonfreedomofnavigationwhichareapplicablerespectivelytoterritorialwaters,theEEZ,andonthehighseas.ChinaissuedonFebruary25,1992itslawontheterritorialseaandcontiguouszone,wherebyforeignwarshipsenteringChina’sterritorialwatersmustfirstobtainapproval.Althoughthisruleaccordswithinternationallawandpractices,theU.S.doesnotacceptit,ratherinsistingthatwarshipsenjoythesamerightofinnocentpassagethroughterritorialwatersasotherboats.TheU.S.furthermoreholdsthatinsuchcasesthereisnoneedtoobtainpermissionfromoreventoinformcoastalstates.ItthusappearsthattheU.S.freedomofnavigationprogramisawayoftakingpracticalactiontoreplaceinternationalruleswithAmericanstandards,orevenofimposingthewilloftheU.S.onothercountries.
“Chinawillneverallowhard-wonstabilityintheSouthChinaSeatobedisturbedorunderminedagain,”saidChineseForeignMinisterWangYi.
Ontheotherhand,theFreedomofNavigationprogramisofahighlypoliticalnature,andimbuedwithulteriormotives.TheDepartmentofDefensehasstatedthattheprogram’soperationisbasedonprinciples,andnotaimedatspecificcountriesandregions.Yetitwouldappearthatitstargetshavebeencarefullyselected,andthatFreedomofNavigationintheSouthChinaSeaisjustonelink.IftheAmericanprogramistrulybasedonprinciples,thentheU.S.shouldadoptthesameoperativenormtodealwiththecontroversialfishingwatersoffOkinotoriReef.
ThisendeavorintheSouthChinaSeaconstitutesachallengetoChina’sreefbuildingactivities.TheU.S.thusnotonlyrefutesChina’ssovereigntyandrightsovertheSouthChinaSea,butalsocastsaspersionsonChina’sprestigethroughnegativeinsinuationscalculatedtoinciteotherdisputantparties.SuchpracticeswillexacerbatethesituationintheSouthChinaSea.
MattersintheSouthChinaSeaareatpresentrelativelycalmandstable.“ThesituationintheSouthChinaSeahaspalpablyeasedasaresultofjointeffortsbyChinaandtheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN)countries,whichareablessingtotheregionandtheworldasawhole,”ForeignMinisterWangYitoldapressconferenceonMarch8duringtheFifthSessionofthe12thNationalPeople’sCongress.
Whentheso-calledSouthChinaSeaArbitrationawardwasreleasedonJuly12,2016,countriesliketheU.S.,Japan,andAustraliacommendeditasaconstrainingforceondisputantparties,andexpressedhopethatallconcernedwouldobeyit.However,neitherASEANcountriesnordisputantpartieslikeVietnam,thePhilippines,Malaysia,andIndonesiareachedaconsensusonthearbitration,butkepttotheiroriginalprudentstances.SinceRodrigoDuterte,presidentofthePhilippines,visitedChinainOctober2016,thebilateralrelationshiphasrapidlythawed,andtheSouthChinaSeadisputehassmoothlyachieveda“softlanding.”Developmentsin2016madecleartodisputantpartiesthatunilateralpracticessuchasarbitrationcouldnotsolvetheissue,andthatthedual-trackapproachproposedbyChinaandASEANcountriesistheonlyreasonablechoice.Thatistosay,basedonhistoricalfactsandInternationalLaw,thedisputeshouldbepeacefullysettledbythecountriesinvolvedthroughnegotiationandconsultation.PeaceandstabilityintheSouthChinaSeashouldbejointlymaintainedbyChinaandASEANcountries.
Thecurrentstablesituationisexpectedtobemain-tained.AccordingtoForeignMinisterWangYi,theDeclarationontheConduct(DOC)ofPartiesintheSouthChinaSeaisbeingimplementedinafullandeffectiveway.Thepartiesdirectlyconcernedarereturningtotherighttrackofsettlingtheirdisputesthroughdialogueandconsultation.ChinaandtheASEANcountriesareworkingtopromotetheCodeofConductintheSouthChinaSea(COC),mainlythroughconsultations,withtheaimofworkingoutcommonregionalrules.
WangsaidthatbytheendofFebruarytheChinaASEANJointWorkingGrouphadmademarkedprogresswithregardtoconsultationsandproducedthefirstdraftoftheCOCframework.
“If,atthismoment,someoneshouldtrytomakewavesandstiruptrouble,theywouldhavenosupportandfacecommonoppositionfromtheentireregion,”Wangsaid.“Chinawillneverallowhard-wonstabilityintheSouthChinaSeatobedisturbedorunderminedagain.”
Moreover,freedomofnavigationintheSouthChinaSeaisclearlya“pseudo-proposition.”“AccordingtoinformationfromtheCityofLondon,theSouthChinaSeaisnotlistedasahighriskarea,andthereisnodatatoshowthatinternationalinsurancecompanieshaveraisedtheinsurancepremiumonshipspassingthroughthere.Therefore,wheredotheconcernsaboutnavigationsecuritycomefrom?”saidFuYing,chairpersonoftheForeignAffairsCommitteeofthe12thNationalPeople’sCongress.Itisthusapparentthattheso-calledFreedomofNavigationprogramislittlemorethanapretextfortheU.S.army’sgatheringofintelligenceonChinathroughnavalreconnaissance.Bythistoken,freedomofnavigationguaranteesU.S.hegemony.
DespitetheirdifferentstancesontheFreedomofNavigation,ChinaandAmericahaveweatheredanumberofcrises,includingthemilitaryplanecollisionin2001,andtheUSNSImpeccableincidentin2009.BearinginmindcurrentChina-U.S.relationsandthediplomaticstylesoftheincumbenttwostateleaders,theoccurrenceofanothercriticalincidentcouldcauseirreparabledamage.Therefore,abandoninghegemonismandpayinggreaterattentiontoothercountries’legitimatesafetyconcernsshouldbetheprinciplethatAmericashouldbothunderstandandcomplywith.
LINMINWANGisaresearcherattheInstituteofInternationalStudiesofFudanUniversityandaresearchfellowattheCollaborativeInnovationCenterofSouthChinaSeasStudiesatNanjingUniversity.