Government 1760 Chapter Notes - Chapter Rapp-Hooper: Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, Mischief Reef
18 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Emerging(Strategies(and(Postures(in(the(South(China(Sea
In#2012,#it#ejected#the#Philippines#from#its#position#at#Scarborough#Shoal#
after#a#10-week-long#standoff.#
○
In#2014,#it#moved#an#oil#rig#into#waters#claimed#by#the#Socialist#Republic#of#
Vietnam.#
○
It#is#now#installing#sophisticated#military#equipment#and#facilities#on#
these#outposts.#
§
Port#facilities,#airstrips,#radar,#and#communication#equipment,#
however,#are#all#dual-use#and#can#serve#offensive#and#defensive#
purposes#
§
Top#U.S.#military#commanders#have#stated#that#China#is#warning#
away#military#and#commercial#vessels#from#these#islands#and#
attempting#to#create#so-called#“military#zones”#in#the#waters#and#
airspace#around#them
§
Most#notably,#between#early#2014#and#mid-2015,#Beijing#transformed#
seven#formerly#lowlying#rocks#and#reefs#in#the#Spratly#group#into#artificial#
islands#using#commercial#dredging#techniques
○
China’s#emerging#strategy#seems#designed#to#increase#its#presence#and#bolster#
its#maritime#and#territorial#claims#in#the#South#China#Sea.#
•
Beijing’s#limited#naval#and#aerial#refueling#and#resupply#capability#meant#that#it#
could#not#comprehensively#monitor#or#sustain#operations#in#the#central#and#
southern#portions#of#the#South#China#Sea
•
China's#limited#refueling#and#resupply#capabilities#to#support#and#sustain#coast#
guard#vessels,#major#surface#combatants,#and#long-range#strike#capabilities#
•
China#is#reinforcing#presence#in#the#Paracel#Islands
•
These#ports#and#airstrips#could#also#be#used#to#resupply#ships#and#
aircraft#that#otherwise#would#not#have#the#range#to#operate#in#the#
South#China#Sea.
§
Beijing#has#also#conducted#large,#deep-water#port#facilities#at#several#
locations,#including#Fiery#Cross,#Subi,#and#Mischief#reefs,#and#these#could#
be#used#to#accommodate#major#coast#guard#vessels#and#naval#surface#
combatants.#
○
China#built#a#3,000#meter#airstrip#on#Fiery#Cross#Reef#and#building#another#on#
Subi#Reef#and#might#be#working#on#a#third#at#Mischief#Reef
•
China#is#also#reportedly#beginning#construction#on#large,#floating#sea#bases#for#
the#South#China#Sea,#which#may#serve#similar#purposes#to#its#artificial#islands#
and#support-aircraft#and#surface-ship#operations
•
In#addition#to#developing#its#force#posture#in#the#South#China#Sea,#China#
appears#to#have#recently#ramped#up#its#military#exercises# in#and#around#the#
region
•
The#“militia”# consists#of#locally#organized#fishing#and#merchant#vessels#
that#bear#no#signs#of#having#official#imprimatur,#but#which#appear#to#be#
dual-hatted#as#government#proxies
○
China#has#also#been#leveraging#what#one#scholar#has#referred#to#as#a#“maritime#
militia”#around#both#the#Spratly#and#Paracel#Islands.#
•
The#United#States’#close#Southeast#Asian#ally,#the#Philippines,#has#
negligible#naval#and#air#force#capabilities,#and#the#United#States#itself#has#
relatively#few#assets#in#the#near#vicinity#of#the#disputed#territories.#
○
Therefore,#the#United#States’#strategy#around#the#South#China#Sea#
disputes#focuses#on#building#partner#capacity,#encouraging#partners#to#
build#domestic#capacity,#diversifying#and#upgrading#its#own#force#posture,#
and#building#a#coalition.#
○
US#and#Allied#Strategy#in#the#South#China#Sea•
The#Philippines#has#announced#a#military#spending#hike#of#its#own#and#will#
invest#in#frigates,#strategic#sealift,#long-range#patrol#aircraft,#and#close-support#
aircraft.#
•
Vietnam#has#also#received#patrol#boats#from#Japan#and#is#considering#
opening#its#Cam#Ranh#Bay#to#an#international#presence,#including#the#
United#States
○
Vietnam#is#ramping#up#its#own#military#spending,#purchasing#six#Kilo-class#
submarines#from#Russia#and#seeking#fighter#aircraft,#unmanned#aerial#vehicles,#
and#maritime#patrol#aircraft#(Torode,#2015).#
•
Additionally,#U.S.#naval#commanders#are#reportedly#seeking#new#anti-ship#
missiles#for#deployment#around#the#South#China#Sea
•
China#has#made#significant#investments#in#its#coast#guard,#major#surface#
combatants,#and#long-range#strike#capabilities# to#advance#its#peacetime#
goal#of#presence#and#potential#wartime#goal#of#a#Senkaku#or#Ryukyu#grab
○
While#Japan#and#the#U.S.-Japan#alliance#have#not#kept#pace#70#with#these#
quantitative#investments,#they#have#implemented#significant#strategic#and#
doctrinal#changes#in#relatively#short#order#that#directly#engage#China’s#
apparent#peace#and#wartime#goals#and#strategies#for#achieving#them.
○
China’s#South#China#Sea#reach#was#decidedly#limited#by#its#inability#to#
refuel#and#resupply#until#it#constructed#its#artificial#islands
○
Because#the#South#China#Sea#was#a#relative#vacuum#in#terms#of#forces,#
bases,#and#other#military#resources#until#very#recently,#China#has#been#
able#to#make#asymmetric#advances.
○
This#assessment#also#has#some#implications#for#U.S.#alliance# management.#
○
Analysis•
Rapp-Hooper)Reading
Wednesday,# March#1,#2017
1:26#AM
Document Summary
Emerging strategies and postures in the south china sea. China"s emerging strategy seems designed to increase its presence and bolster its maritime and territorial claims in the south china sea. In 2012, it ejected the philippines from its position at scarborough shoal after a 10-week-long standoff. In 2014, it moved an oil rig into waters claimed by the socialist republic of. Most notably, between early 2014 and mid-2015, beijing transformed seven formerly lowlying rocks and reefs in the spratly group into artificial islands using commercial dredging techniques. It is now installing sophisticated military equipment and facilities on these outposts. Port facilities, airstrips, radar, and communication equipment, however, are all dual-use and can serve offensive and defensive purposes. Top u. s. military commanders have stated that china is warning away military and commercial vessels from these islands and attempting to create so-called military zones in the waters and airspace around them.
