Mô tả
Since time immemorial, SCS has provided the stage for maritime trade and movements of people that significantly shaped the socio-political, cultural, economic and strategic landscape in the regions surrounding it. Put it simply, SCS acts as a palette that provides the colors that help paint the picture of the littoral areas.
Being a sea that sits along a key trade lane and borders many countries featuring hundreds of millions of people along its coasts, the multifunctional role of the SCS as a strategic sealane, a facilitator of economic growth and a provider of resources and livelihood is paramount. On account of these, it is crucial to preserve safety, security and prosperity in the sea not only from an economic perspective but also from an environmental point of view. The sea cannot afford to be a theater of conflict that will threaten the economic interests of the littoral nations and the international community, nor can it be a platform for rapacious exploitation of its natural riches that will degrade its environment. A full blown military confrontation in the sea would only result in the intervention by outside powers keen to capitalize on such situation in the name of creating ‘balance of power’ in the region.
It is therefore crucial that the conflicts arising from the overlapping claims in the sea settled in an amicable way. To this end, all diplomatic channels must be exhausted and nations must behave in such a manner that disputes do not become overblown to full scale conflicts. It would serve anyone’s interest to have a South China Sea that is wrought of conflict and is heavily militarized. This would hamper trade flow in its crucial shipping lanes and would cause adverse effect to the livelihood of people, not to mention of the threat that it would be to the vulnerable ecosystem of the sea. In the same token, other maritime security threats such as pollution, illegal fishing, piracy, smuggling and even terrorism must also be addressed and contained to ensure that the sea is meets the needs of its littoral states and is kept open and safe for international use..."
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