• About Us
  • Careers
  • Brand Partnerships
TFI Official Merchandise
TFI English
TFI हिन्दी
Friday, July 1, 2022
TFIGlobal
TFIGlobal
Right Arm. Round the World. FAST.
No Result
View All Result
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Americas
  • Indian Subcontinent
  • West Asia
  • Europe
  • Africa
  • Premium
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Americas
  • Indian Subcontinent
  • West Asia
  • Europe
  • Africa
  • Premium
TFIGlobal
TFIGlobal
No Result
View All Result

China tried to game international law with expensive artificial islands, but they are already sinking

Akshay Narang by Akshay Narang
November 9, 2020
in Indo-Pacific
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Remove term: South China Sea South China SeaRemove term: Artificial Islands Artificial IslandsRemove term: UNCLOS UNCLOSRemove term: Short Takes Short Takes
4.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Become a Patron!

China’s most expensive and ambitious programme to claim maritime territory in the South China Sea is sinking, quite literally. Since 2013, China has been dredging and destroying ecologically fragile reefs in the disputed waterways of the South China Sea in order to build man-made islands. Beijing has successfully built seven major military bases on such artificial structures complete with ports, airstrips, radars and missile installations.

These artificial islands that were built at a huge cost served as unsinkable carriers for China. More importantly, the right to harness resources is essentially tied with the coastline in international law. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, area within 200 nautical miles from the baseline of a country’s coastline is its exclusive economic zone, where it has exclusive economic rights. China’s plan was to game international law by building artificial islands, but these expensive, man-made Chinese islands are now getting submerged in the disputed South China Sea waters.

Also Read

Biden’s sinister plans to use Poland as a “launchpad” against Russia after the Ukraine war

The Philippines’ new pro-China leader begins his tenure by locking horns with Taiwan

South China Sea, Artificial Islands, UNCLOS
(PC: Council on Foreign Relations,)

The most important ring of artificial Chinese installations was located on the Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands. These artificial Chinese islands had quite a destabilising impact upon the South China Sea as the Spratly Islands are a disputed archipelago claimed by five other countries apart from China including Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

The artificial Islands themselves came at a huge environmental cost. The reefs were pulverised by China to create raw materials for its man-made bases. Beijing claims that it is restoring the reefs, but National Interest quoted marine biologist John McManus at the University of Miami as saying that dredging “kills basically everything” living around the coral reefs.

For China, the environmental cost was insignificant for the artificial islands that are often used for stationing military assets gave the paper Dragon a vantage point in case of any future conflict with the United States in the hotly-contested South China Sea region. The man-made installations are also supposed to help China in its oil and gas exploration ventures. And then there is always that opportunity of using the artificial Islands for claiming greater room in the disputed waters by gaming the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

But the environment has come back to bite China. The Economist reported, “Rumors suggest the new islands’ concrete is crumbling and their foundations turning to sponge in a hostile climate. And that is before considering what a direct hit from a super-typhoon might do.”

In fact, China’s artificial islands are becoming highly unreliable for practical purposes. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), for instance, has never flown combat aircraft to the artificial islands built by reclaiming geographical features in the Spratly Islands. The environmental and financial cost of reclaiming reefs and then building military infrastructure on them was immense. Then, why doesn’t the PLAAF land its combat aircraft on these artificial islands?

A possible reason behind the Chinese Air Force’s reluctance to deploy fighter aircraft on these artificial islands is the poor structural integrity of the military facilities built on these man-made installations, including the suboptimal airstrips.

What good are these artificial islands, if the PLAAF itself cannot trust them with its fighter aircraft? If one of the purposes of these artificial islands was to project military power, then they have failed spectacularly.

Even if Beijing was trying to game international law by building these artificial islands, then China’s claims are only as good as the crumbling concrete that forms the weak foundations of China’s man-made installations.

For all the hype that was being generated around China’s many artificial islands, the expensive Chinese plan to expand influence in the South China Sea is turning out to be quite a disappointment. China’s artificial islands are sinking and so are its extra-territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Tags: Artificial IslandsShort takesSouth China SeaUNCLOS
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

‘Erdogan will pay a heavy price,’ Biden’s policy on Turkey could be more punitive than Trump’s

Next Post

Think Biden will restore EU-US ties? Well, Obama had tapped Merkel’s phone and Biden won’t do any better

Also Read

Putin jumps headlong into CCP’s internal conflict as Xi rushes to sack a pro-Russia minister

Putin jumps headlong into CCP’s internal conflict as Xi rushes to sack a pro-Russia minister

July 1, 2022
BRICS could be the most important grouping but there is one big hindrance

BRICS could be the most important grouping but there is one big hindrance

July 1, 2022
The Philippines’ new pro-China leader begins his tenure by locking horns with Taiwan

The Philippines’ new pro-China leader begins his tenure by locking horns with Taiwan

July 1, 2022
‘Study Xi Jinping thought, get guaranteed job,’ China’s new offer to its youth

‘Study Xi Jinping thought, get guaranteed job,’ China’s new offer to its youth

June 30, 2022
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Russia hits the goldmine in Uganda

Russia hits the goldmine in Uganda

June 26, 2022
Japan has withdrawn a sizeable chunk of its foreign reserves from the US and a domino effect is on the cards   

Japan has withdrawn a sizeable chunk of its foreign reserves from the US and a domino effect is on the cards  

June 20, 2022
Zimbabwe inflation

Zimbabwe ditches American Dollar and shifts to gold; more African nations to follow the suit

July 1, 2022
Russia crashes West’s chip infrastructure by turning off Helium and Neon supplies

Russia crashes West’s chip infrastructure by turning off Helium and Neon supplies

June 3, 2022
Iran cuts off the last oil supply line to the US and the West

Iran cuts off the last oil supply line to the US and the West

June 21, 2022
Daughter of the Joe Biden

‘Use to shower with Dad,’ Biden’s daughter’s scandal makes Hunter look like a saint

us led nato

Spain becomes the first NATO country to openly protest NATO’s adventurism in Ukraine

Russia hits the goldmine in Uganda

Russia hits the goldmine in Uganda

Canada

Bill C-67: Trudeau’s new tool has turned Canada into a hell hole for white Canadians

Prince of Dubai profile picture

Know about Prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed

Biden’s sinister plans to use Poland as a “launchpad” against Russia after the Ukraine war

Biden’s sinister plans to use Poland as a “launchpad” against Russia after the Ukraine war

July 1, 2022
Putin jumps headlong into CCP’s internal conflict as Xi rushes to sack a pro-Russia minister

Putin jumps headlong into CCP’s internal conflict as Xi rushes to sack a pro-Russia minister

July 1, 2022
BRICS could be the most important grouping but there is one big hindrance

BRICS could be the most important grouping but there is one big hindrance

July 1, 2022
Ukraine’s loss in the war raises serious doubts over the efficiency of American weapons

Ukraine’s loss in the war raises serious doubts over the efficiency of American weapons

July 1, 2022
Northern Ireland

Forget Scotland, UK might end up losing Northern Ireland too

July 1, 2022
Youtube Twitter Facebook
TFIGlobal
  • About us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy

©2022 - TFI MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

No Result
View All Result
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Americas
  • Indian Subcontinent
  • West Asia
  • Europe
  • Africa
  • Premium

©2022 - TFI MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Follow us on Twitter

and never miss an insightful take by the TFIGlobal team

Follow @tfiglobal
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. View our Privacy and Cookie Policy.