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Historical relation
Its effect Current Relation

Related to its TOPIC Related to

Geography Economics

Its relation with India

 Why in news?
China and the Philippines have accused each other of ramming coast guard
vessels in a disputed area of the South China Sea.

The Philippines has claimed a Chinese ship "directly and intentionally rammed"
into its vessel, while Beijing has accused the Philippines of "deliberately"
crashing into a Chinese ship.

Saturday's collision near the Sabina Shoal is the latest in a long-running - and
escalating - row between the two countries over various islands and zones in
the South China Sea.
SOUTH CHINA SEA
DISPUTE
 Why in news?
• The Sabina Shoal, claimed by China as Xianbin Jiao and as Escoda
Shoal by the Philippines, is located some 75 nautical miles from the
Philippines' west coast and 630 nautical miles from China.
 CHINA’S DISPUTE IN SOUTH
CHINA SEA
China lays claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, including the
Paracel Islands.

However, Taiwan, Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam also claim

parts of the region, believed to hold valuable oil and gas deposits.
 South China Sea

Location: South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in

Southeast Asia. It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of
the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo.
It is connected by Taiwan Strait with the East China Sea and by Luzon
Strait with the Philippine Sea.
Bordering states & territories (clockwise from north): the People’s
Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines,
Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam.
 South China Sea
Strategic Importance: This sea holds tremendous strategic importance
for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean
and the Pacific Ocean (Strait of Malacca).
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade And
Development (UNCTAD) one-third of the global shipping passes
through it, carrying trillions of trade which makes it a significant
geopolitical water body.
Reasons For Dispute in the South
China Sea:
Contesting Claims Over Islands:
The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan and
Vietnam.
The Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam,
Brunei and Philippines.
The Scarborough Shoal is claimed by Philippines, China and
Taiwan.
 China & Philippines Case
• The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague issued a
significant ruling on July 12, 2016, regarding the South China Sea
dispute between the Philippines and China.
• The tribunal ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines, stating
that China’s claims to historic rights over the maritime areas within
the “nine-dash line” had no legal basis under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
 China & Philippines Case
• The tribunal found that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign
rights by interfering with its fishing and petroleum exploration,
constructing artificial islands, and failing to prevent Chinese
fishermen from fishing in the zone.
• Despite the ruling, China rejected the decision, calling it “null and
void” and has continued its activities in the disputed areas
• This ruling was seen as a landmark decision in international maritime
law, but its enforcement remains a challenge due to China’s refusal
to acknowledge the tribunal’s authority.
 China-Taiwan Dispute
▪ China conducted military exercises simulating a "seal off" of
Taiwan, in response to the visit of Taiwan's President to the United
States.
▪ Largely unrecognized by other nations, Taiwan sees itself as a
sovereign country. However, China considers it to be a breakaway
state and is determined to bring the island under its control.
• Newly elected President of Taiwan - Lai Ching te
 China-Taiwan Dispute
• History of Taiwan
• Taiwan came under Chinese control during the Qing dynasty but was given
to Japan after China lost the first Sino-Japanese war in 1895.
• China regained control of Taiwan in 1945 after Japan lost World War II, but
the civil war between the nationalists and communists led to the
nationalists fleeing to Taiwan in 1949.
• The Kuomintang party, led by Chiang Kai-shek, ruled Taiwan for many years
and is still a prominent political party. China claims Taiwan as a Chinese
province, but Taiwan argues that it was never part of the People's
Republic of China (PRC).
 China-Taiwan Dispute
• Currently, only 13 countries recognize Taiwan as a sovereign country
due to China's diplomatic pressure.
• Countries - Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Tuvalu, Eswatini, Vatican
City, Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint
Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Taiwan Relations Act - Enacted - 10th April 1979
 Senkaku Island Dispute
The Senkaku Island dispute concerns a territorial dispute over a group of
uninhabited islands known as:

Senkaku Islands in Japan,

Diaoyu Islands in China, and
Tiaoyutai Islands in Taiwan.
• Both Japan and China claim ownership of these islands.
• Location:
• Eight uninhabited islands lie in the East China Sea. They have a total area of
about 7 sq km and lie northeast of Taiwan.
 Senkaku Island Dispute
• The 1960 Japan-USA mutual security treaty assures the USA would come
to Japan's aid in the event of an outside attack on Japanese forces or
territory.
• After World War II, Japan renounced claims to a number of territories and
islands including Taiwan in the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco.
• But under the treaty, the Nansei Shoto islands came under USA trusteeship
and were then returned to Japan in 1971.
• Japan says that Senkaku islands are part of the Nansei Shoto islands and
hence they also belong to Japan.
 Kuril Islands
• Japan described four islands whose ownership it disputes with
Russia as illegally occupied in the latest version of a diplomatic
Bluebook.
• Russia refers to these islands as the Kuril Islands, whereas Japan
calls them Northern territories.
• Japan is also having a similar dispute regarding Northern territories
with South Korea. South Korea refers to as Dokdo islands.
 Kuril Islands
Location:
The Kuril Islands are stretched from the Japanese island of Hokkaido to
the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula separating
the Okhotsk Sea from the North Pacific Ocean.
The chain is part of the belt of geologic instability circling the Pacific
(Ring of Fire) and contains at least 100 volcanoes, of which 35 are still
active, and many hot springs.
 QUAD
• QUAD, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or simply the Quad, is a
strategic forum comprising four countries: the United States, Japan, India, and
Australia.
• The Quad is aimed at promoting regional security and economic cooperation in
the Indo-Pacific region.
• The four countries share a common interest in maintaining a free and open Indo-
Pacific, promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and countering
China's expanding influence in the region.
• The Quad has held several meetings at the ministerial and leaders' level to
discuss issues such as maritime security, infrastructure development, and supply
chain resilience.
 Formation of QUAD
• 2007: The Quad was initially formed in 2007 during an informal meeting of
leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It was
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who first proposed the idea of creating the
Quad.
• 2012: The Japanese Prime Minister highlighted the concept of the 'Democratic
Security Diamond' in Asia, which includes the US, Japan, India, and Australia.
• 2017: Once again confronted with the growing danger posed by China, the four
nations revitalized the Quad by expanding its goals and devising a system that
aimed to gradually establish an international order based on rules.
• India, Japan, USA, and Australia held the first 'Quad' talks in Manila ahead of
the ASEAN Summit 2017.
 Formation of QUAD
• 2020: The trilateral India-US-Japan Malabar naval exercises expanded
to include Australia, marking the first official grouping of the Quad
since its resurgence in 2017 and the first joint military exercises
among the four countries in over a decade.
• 2021: The Quad leaders met virtually and later released a joint
statement titled ‘The Spirit of the Quad’.
 QUAD Significance
• Strategic importance: It is a platform to discuss and address the common
challenges faced by the Indo-Pacific region, such as the rise of China and
its increasing assertiveness in the region through ‘String of pearls’ theory.
• Economic significance: The member countries have launched several
initiatives like the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, the Blue Dot Network, and
the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative to promote economic development
in the region. India is mostly at the receiving end of investments by QUAD
countries.
• Maritime security: QUAD is useful for Indian maritime security by
conducting joint naval exercises and coordinating on issues like freedom
of navigation, piracy, and illegal fishing.
 QUAD 2024
• India will host the Summit.
Great Nicobar Project
 Great Nicobar Project
• Great Nicobar, the southernmost of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a cluster of about 836 islands in the
eastern Bay of Bengal.
• The two groups of which are separated by the 150-km wide Ten Degree
Channel.
• The Andaman Islands lie to the north of the channel, and the Nicobar
Islands to the south.
• Indira Point on the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island is India’s
southernmost point, less than 150 km from the northernmost island of
the Indonesian archipelago.
 Great Nicobar Project
• Ecosystem
• The Great Nicobar Island has tropical wet evergreen forests, mountain
ranges reaching almost 650 m above sea level, and coastal plains.
• The Island has two national parks and a biosphere reserve.
• Many endangered species are found at the Island. The leatherback sea turtle
is the island’s flagship species.
 Great Nicobar Project
• Tribes of Nicobar
• Great Nicobar is home to the Shompen and Nicobarese tribal peoples.
• The Shompen are hunter-gatherers who depend on forest and marine
resources for sustenance.
• The Nicobarese, who lived along the west coast of the island were mostly
relocated after the 2004 tsunami.
What is Great Nicobar Island project?
• Background
• In November 2022, the Environment ministry has given environmental
clearance for the Centre’s ambitious Rs 72,000 crore multi-development
projects in Greater Nicobar Island.
• The project for the holistic development of Great Nicobar Island was
implemented after a report by NITI Aayog
• A pre-feasibility report flagged the opportunity to leverage the
strategic location of the island.
• Proposal
• The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) is a mega project to be implemented at the
southern end of the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
What is Great Nicobar Island project?
• The project includes an international container trans-shipment terminal, a
greenfield international airport, township development, and a 450 MVA gas
and solar based power plant over an extent of 16,610 hectares in the island.
• The port will be controlled by the Indian Navy, while the airport will have
dual military-civilian functions and will cater to tourism as well.
 Why government is keen to develop this
Island?
• Economic reasons
• The government’s greater goal is to leverage the locational advantage of the
island for economic and strategic reasons.
• Great Nicobar is equidistant from Colombo to the southwest and Port Klang
and Singapore to the southeast.
• It is positioned close to the East-West international shipping corridor,
through which a very large part of the world’s shipping trade passes.
• The proposed ICTT can potentially become a hub for cargo ships travelling
on this route.
 Great Nicobar Project
• Strategic & Security reasons
• India is wary of a build-up of Chinese maritime forces at the Indo-
Pacific choke points of especially Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok.
• China’s attempts to expand its footprint in the region includes
building a military facility at Coco Islands (Myanmar) lying just 55 km
to the north of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
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