The South China Sea has been a source of escalating tensions in recent years, with various nations vying for territorial control over the region. At the heart of the conflict is China’s assertion of its historical claims to islands in the area, which it reinforces through the implementation of the “cabbage strategy.”
The Cabbage Strategy
The cabbage strategy, also known as the “salami-slicing” strategy, is a method employed by nations to assert territorial claims gradually. In this approach, contested areas are encircled with multiple layers of security, effectively denying access to rival nations, and eventually, the area is claimed by the aggressor. This strategy has been utilized by China both on land and in the oceans against its neighboring countries like India, Bhutan, the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, and Brunei as a tool to expand its territorial frontiers.
China’s Claims in the South China Sea
China’s claims over islands in the South China Sea have historical roots dating back centuries. In the modern era, the first official claim was made in 1947, when China demarcated its territorial claims with a U-shaped line consisting of eleven dashes on a map. Notably, two dashes around the Gulf of Tonkin were removed in the early 1950s to appease the Communist Government in North Vietnam.
The Nine-Dash Line and the Cabbage Strategy
Subsequently, the nine-dash line emerged as a major flashpoint in the South China Sea dispute. This line encompasses two groups of islands, namely the Spratlys and the Paracels, and has become a focal point for China’s cabbage strategy. Since the 1970s, China has been actively implementing the cabbage strategy to ensure control over the islands within the nine-dash line.
International Dimension of the Dispute
In 2013, what was once primarily a bilateral/regional issue took on an international dimension when the Philippines approached the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) to contest China’s territorial claims within the nine-dash line. In July 2016, the PCA delivered a significant ruling, stating that there was no legal basis for China to claim rights over most of the South China Sea.
UNCLOS and Violation of Sovereign Rights
The PCA’s ruling pointed out that China’s claims over the resources in the region were incompatible with the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) provided under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The tribunal concluded that China had violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights by unlawfully exploiting resources within its EEZ. Moreover, the construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea was found to have caused severe harm to the coral reef environment.
Tensions and Regional Stability
The application of the cabbage strategy in the South China Sea has heightened tensions in the region, with neighboring countries expressing concern over China’s expansive actions. The construction of artificial islands and the increased presence of Chinese vessels around disputed areas have led to maritime incidents and raised the risk of military confrontations. The situation has prompted other nations, including the United States, to assert their presence and support allies in the region, further exacerbating the complex geopolitical dynamics.
