The South China Sea Dispute Between China and the Philippines: Blood and Tears in War

The War History of the South China Sea Conflict and the Resulting Overall Changes

This is the third part of a four-part series on the conflict between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. It covers modern war history and the path leading to contemporary disputes.

The wave of nationalism would eventually sweep away colonialism.

The Fall of French Influence in Southeast Asia

In the previous installment, we discussed how France eventually completed its occupation of most of the islands and maintained significant influence in Southeast Asia. However, this scenario did not last long, as the tide of national independence movements soon obliterated it.

Significant changes began in 1974 when French-occupied Vietnam gained independence, and the Vietnamese government claimed sovereignty over the Paracel Islands. Vietnam later split into North Vietnam and South Vietnam, with North Vietnam aligning with China and South Vietnam with the United States.

As we all know, a civil war broke out between the two sides. By 1970, as South Vietnam was on the verge of collapse, China intervened in the war to support North Vietnam, leading to the famous Battle of the Paracel Islands.

Aftermath and Unified Vietnam's Troubles

In this battle, China eliminated all the Vietnamese troops on the Paracel Islands and reclaimed the entire archipelago.

After North Vietnam unified the country, it was deeply troubled by this situation. Despite its sovereignty claims, China had already achieved de facto control over the islands.

The ROC and the Nansha Islands

After the Republic of China (ROC) retreated to Taiwan, the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) were too far away, about 3,000 kilometers, and the ROC's limited strength meant it could not maintain effective control.

Consequently, when a typhoon struck the Nansha Islands, the ROC garrison retreated to Taiping Island. After the typhoon, when they returned to Thitu Island and its surrounding reefs, they found that the Philippines had occupied them.

The Philippines' Sovereignty Assertions

Since the 1970s, the Philippines has asserted sovereignty over the Nansha Islands. The islands were unmanaged due to China's civil war, and the Philippines took advantage of this situation by occupying seven islands within the Nansha group. This event marks the Philippines' entry into the Nansha Islands.

By the 1980s, as China regained some national strength and attempted to re-enter the Nansha Islands, multiple countries had already occupied more than 30 islands.

Malaysia had occupied a few islands, Vietnam had taken the most, the Philippines had occupied seven, and the ROC only held Taiping Island.

The Johnson South Reef Skirmish

In the absence of any remaining unoccupied islands in the Nansha group, China turned its attention to the reefs. These reefs emerged during low tide and submerged during high tide. Therefore, China built numerous stilt houses on them because they still constituted land at low tide.

After learning about this, Vietnam and China engaged in the famous Johnson South Reef Skirmish of 1988.

Following Vietnam's defeat, China built seven stilt houses on the reefs in the Nansha Islands. These structures, initially essential, were progressively upgraded over 20 years to become reinforced concrete buildings, solidifying China's presence in the area.

In recent years, China began reclamation projects, using surrounding sands to expand the reefs' areas. This strategy is China's way of asserting its presence in the Nansha Islands.

The Complex Legal Dispute

However, the problem lies in these reefs' status under international law, as they cannot constitute sovereign territories. Whether it is Thitu Island, Itu Aba Island, or the Second Thomas Shoal involved in conflicts with the Philippines, all face this issue.

China's approach is straightforward: these reefs may not be land now but will be in the future.

The Core of the South China Sea Dispute

The dispute over the South China Sea's complexity stems from the potential transformation of reefs into islands, necessitating preemptive occupation.