Beijing is interested in more than just energy and fishery resources. The area is also integral to its nuclear submarine strategy.
In an effort to underscore its importance to Asia, geostrategist Nicholas Spykman once described it as the ‘Asiatic Mediterranean.’ More recently, it has been dubbed the ‘Chinese Caribbean.’ And, just as Rome and the United States have sought control over the Mediterranean and Caribbean, China now seeks dominance over the South China Sea.
It’s clear that China’s claims and recent assertiveness have increased tensions in this key body of water. Yet while most attention has focused on Beijing’s appetite for fishery and energy resources, from a submariner’s perspective, the semi-closed sea is integral to China’s nuclear strategy. And without understanding the nuclear dimension of the South China Sea disputes, China’s maritime expansion makes little sense.
Possessing a credible sea-based nuclear deterrent is a priority for China's military strategy. China’s single Type 092, or Xia-class, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, equipped with short-range JL-1 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), has never conducted a deterrent patrol from the Bohai Sea since its introduction in the 1980s. However, China is on the verge of acquiring credible second-strike capabilities with the anticipated introduction of JL-2 SLBMs (with an estimated range of 8,000 kilometres) coupled with DF-31 and DF-31A road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). In addition, China plans to introduce up to five Type 094, or Jin-class, SSBNs outfitted with the JL-2 missiles, while constructing an underwater submarine base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea.
It’s clear, then, that China is making every effort to keep the South China Sea off limits, just as the Soviet Union did in the Sea of Okhotsk during the Cold War. Back then, the Soviet Union turned to SSBNs as insurance against US capabilities to destroy land-based ICBMs. The need to secure its insurance force from attacks, and the need for effective command and control, meant that Soviet SSBNs had to be deployed close to home, with longer-range missiles to be used to strike the continental United States. In addition to the Barents Sea, Moscow prioritized making the Sea of Okhotsk a safe haven for SSBNs by improving the physical defences of the Kuril Islands and reinforcing the Pacific Fleet based at Vladivostok. The Soviet Pacific Fleet deployed 100 submarines, combined with 140 surface warships, including a Kiev-class light aircraft carrier, to defend its insurance force in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Likewise, China needs to secure its forces in the South China Sea and modify its maritime strategy and doctrine accordingly. Currently, the primary wartime missions of the People’s Liberation Army Navy are: 1) securing sea approaches to Taiwan; 2) conducting operations in the western Pacific to deny enemy forces freedom of action; 3) protecting Chinese sea lines of communication; and 4) interdicting enemy lines of communication. With the introduction of the Type 094, protecting Chinese SSBNs will become another primary mission, and this mission will require China to kill enemy strategic antisubmarine forces and end the resistance of other claimants in the South China Sea. Chinese anti-access/area-denial capabilities, especially quieter nuclear-powered attack submarines, can be used to counter enemy forward antisubmarine warfare operations. China’s aircraft carriers, when operational, will be deployed in the South China Sea to silence the neighbouring claimants.
This strategy dates back almost two decades, to a time when China began encircling the South China Sea to fill the power vacuum created by the withdrawal of US forces from the Philippines in 1991. China reasserted ‘historical’ claims over all the islets, including the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos, and 80 percent of the 3.5 million km2 body of water along the nine-dotted U-shaped line, despite having no international legal ground to do so. Those islets can be used as air and sea bases for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities, and as base points for claiming the deeper part of the South China Sea for PLAN ballistic missile submarines and other vessels. China also interprets the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in an arbitrary manner and doesn’t accept military activities by foreign vessels and overflight in its waters.
Yet China's efforts to dominate the South China Sea face significant challenges. Chinese assertiveness hasn’t only inflamed hostilities from other claimants, but has also raised concerns from seafaring nations such as the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. After all, the South China Sea is a recognized international waterway, unlike the Sea of Okhotsk. In addition, since the JL-2 missiles can’t reach Los Angeles from the South China Sea, Type 094 submarines need to enter the Philippine Sea, where the US Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force conduct intense anti-submarine warfare operations.
Photo Credit: US Navy
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Observer
Philippines President said the Philippines would no longer allow other countries to enforce their will over it.
Story = http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/30063/president-aquino-philippines-to-protect-%E2%80%98what%E2%80%99s-ours%E2%80%99
Look like big bully China won’t get away with bullying its neighbors anymore.
Indonesian
If countries that cannot produce motorcycles (Pakistan and North Korea who are also China’s friends) can make nuclear bombs? why not Indonesia and Vietnam? And China thinks we dont know what they are doing to the Uigurs. We need closer cooperation with U.S. I will also be surprised if Indonesia and Vietnam are not making preparations to acquire these weapons already.
Sinodefender
If both of your countries try respecting Chinese, China had a border skirmish with Vietnam because Vietnamese were abusing Chinese and expelling them and Indonesians 1965-1966 500,000 Chinese killed, 1969 2000 Chinese died because they prevented a Malay dominated government and 1998 Chinese businesses were destroyed and looted, Chinese were raped and killed…
anhtuan
Illigal refugees in any countries can be expelled, or deported. It is the right of any soveregined nations. It can’t be justified with an act of war that killed millions of Vietnamese.( Not to bring up the fact that after the withdraw of the very war, the chinese government took 10 kilometers of Vietnam from its original border.)And currently quite a numbers of chinese are top officials in vietnamese government. To name a few: Minister of defense, PHUNG QUANG THANH, Minister of Justice, Ha Hung Cuong, Minister of transportation, HO NGHIA DUNG, Chairman state ethnic minorities committee, Giang Seo Phu. If these officials acts as spies for the china mainland will be deported or severely punished. And to me, these top chinese officials for Vietnam should be well monitored, or should not be chosen as top officials for Vietnam in the first place..
tuusacvodo
Sinodefender.
How Vietnames were abusing Chinese? it was in 1978 Popot who got support of Chinese goverment (i meant they did what chinese government told them to do) attacked Southwest provines of Vietname and killed thousands of people. Have you ever asked yourself a question: why china who supported Vietnam during the Vietnam war turned to attack Vietnam by using Ponpot 1978 and Chinese itself in 1979?. if your answer was because Vietnamese were abusing Chinese, i would suggest you to find out more yourself.
if you could not find out, i will tell you, we will look at the whole picture.
James Lee
AnhTuan – I totally agreed with you. There are too many illegal Chinese are living in Vietnam. Vietnamese’s government needs to deport them back to China unless if they want to become Vietnamese citizen so that the Vietnamese can use them to defend our country when China attacks.
In order to get rid off the all the Chinese ASSHOLES such as the Minister of defense PHUNG QUANG THANH, the Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong, the Minister of transportation HO NGHIA DUNG, Chairman state ethnic minorities committee Giang Seo Phu. The Vietnamese’s leaderships need to wake up and think about the country but not themselves. They have been receiving illegal $ from the Chinese’s government so that these Chinese’s ASSHOLES can be top officials in Vietnamese government. It’s time to get rid off the Chinese’s ASSHOLES and not being corrupted.
To reply to tuusacvodo. The reasons China supported Vietnam during the Vietnam civil war because China just wanted to protect its own interests and to sell weapons to the North Vietnamese, and when Vietnam reunited as one country China can invade Vietnam easier. However; I believe Vietnamese people would not let that happen.
There are too many Vietnamese living around the world never like the communist but come to protect our fatherland we will do our best to get together and kick the Red-China ass.
Observer
Updates:
“The Philippines also said China’s claims had no validity under international law.”
“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday calledon rivals in the disputed South China Sea to back up territorial claims with legal evidence”
Story = http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/23/us-asean-southchinasea-idUSTRE76M0KM20110723
Let bring this matter to the UN/World Court and let settle it.
anonanon
Strategically China has made several mistakes.
Firstly, it has forced smaller SE Asian nations to take a hostile stance towards Chinese interests.
Second, it has stirred the pot such that the US can assert influence on this issue, linked to #1.
Finally, it has crisscrossed its own domestic interests and thus is unlikely to be flexible in negotiation (and the span of the claims require negotiation). Are the sea claims mostly about oil? About regional security? About naval expansion? Ah, yes, if the answer is “all of the above”, Beijing will find it incredibly difficult to compromise with neighbors when so many domestic hands are in the same pot.
Yao Ming Tse Tung
I don’t understand my own country. COMRADES, WE ALREADY HAVE TIBET. WHY ARE WE GOING TO GRAB THE WHOLE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA?
Cyrus
Hilarious, hello their Kababayan.
SULU Sea
SULU sea belongs to SULU not to Philippines even it is near Negros, philippines. likewise, South China Sea belongs not to the neighboring lands but to CHINA.
Cyrus
How ignorant can you get. This is a baseless comment.
Cyrus
Just one question why the Name Federalist? I always thought you were a follower of Madison.
Then why so adamant in the Defense of China? I though you are pro Constitution of the US and pro Britain.
Where did China come into picture?
Federalist
Well, Alexander Hamilton is my favorite founding father. Basically, I chose the name to combat people thinking that all of the founding fathers were minarchists who were so in love with state’s rights that they wanted to drown the government in a bathtub. So, the name just stuck and I use it for everything.
On to China…I am very interested in the Middle Kingdom. I have studied its history with a focus on ancient history, its culture, I have read Daoist and Confucian texts, Chinese literature, architecture, and many more things that I could list but would fill up this page.
I defend China because Westerners don’t really understand it and see it as evil, when its not. Chinese and Western culture have some similarities, but are very different. I just think China should actually be allowed to deal with an area that was specifically theirs for 2000 years, instead of having the US claim the entire world as its zone of influence.
Cyrus
Point taken.
Though we both like Madison we both disagree on the Philippine Sea issue.
Though Adams is also a noteworthy Federalist just that people do not understand him during those times. He was way advance in his way of thinking.
Cyrus
The United States already gave weapons to the Nationalist or Kuomintang long before the Japanese Invasion. Of course, why would the United States give weapons to the Communist? That is just illogical.
During the War the Communist let the Kuomintang face the Japanese head on while they stay at the back and recruit. One of the reason why after the war the Kuomintang was defeated by the communist.
I just said he is a Nazi. Did I say something bad about John Rabe?
Sinodefeder
The USSR and the Nazis sent more aid then the U.S. The U.S. only sent aid after pearl harbor was bombed. Nationalist troops were trained by Germans feel free to say Americans did it. The Communist and the Nationalist both contributed to fighting its useless to say who did more…
Cyrus
Just read the history not written by the communist party then you will know that the Nationalist faced it head on.
Only Kai was trained by the Germans he was a follower of Otto von Clausewitz on his stratagem. How would the German train Nationalist troops when they are allied with Japan.
Sinodefender
Unfortunately for you I’m not a Communist, Nationalist troops fought them head on and Communists raided and sabotaged IJA. Nationalist didn’t want to raid as much because it would result in the IJA scorching the land… China was full of natural materials the Nazis needed so in turn they supplied weapons and training… Germany was not allies with Japan yet in 1912 and they made loans to ROC. Germany found a way to make money simple as that. Your beloved U.S. did not supply the arms when the Japanese invaded the Germans did. The friendship only fell apart during the Second Sino-Japanese War on July 7, 1937 they simply thought Japan could make a better ally to wage war against Russia… Simply Japan was not an ally directly after WW1 and Germany found business opportunities.
Indonesian
I think countries like Indonesia and Vietnam should also develop nuclear weapons, to be used as a last resort. I think war is certainly in the horizon.
Sinodefender
Countries like Vietnam and Indonesia can get nuclear weapons if they are richer and get rid of human abuses.
Cyrus
Just that the world is going for disarmament of its Nuclear Arsenal the last thing we need is another Nuclear Arms build up.
Please stop this kind of talk.
ozivan
@Indonesian. I note that you just came on board the diplomat..and you have started on an aggressive, warmonger-like style… like fiery President Soekarno. It’s going to be hard for you to later get in the middle way…like pragmatic, moderate, peaceloving Susilo Bambang.
ozivan
Cyrus. The fact is that China & Philippines relationships have been very stable, sober and good for so many decades. There were hardly any misunderstanding that cannot be discussed and resolved without fanfare, until President “Noynoy” Benigno Aquino III was elected.
He is playing the “firebrand” style of politics which is reflective of his upbringing. Noynoy born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, a playboy bachelor,rich kid, never had to shoulder the responsibities of a family,…is now exhibiting grandstanding and a revived nationalistic pride to do away with past Philippine’s neglect in the international scene. All these are popular with younger Filipinos but could turn nasty if their energies are not managed well.
Already, I have seen in some Filipino’s news article & pictures of Filipino protests not only about the Spratlys but also demands for the return of Sabah, a state within Malaysia. If you know your history, Sabah (73,861km of landmass with rich timber and oil resources) were part of your Sulu Kingdom & islands around Mindanao, but given away by British colonialist only in 1961 to Malaysia.
All these hot nationalistic stirrings could cause mis-steps not only with China but also with Malaysia…which will leave Philippines filled with embarrassment and alone in ASEAN. See what happened between Cambodia & Thailand caused by young firebrands like Thai Premier Abbhisit Vejjaveva ?
BTW, just tuned to BBC news video again when Noynoy was interviewed the day a disgruntled ex-police officer held hostage and then killed 18 Hong Kong tourists in Manila. Noynoy was smiling with a mock on his face when he answered the reporters, where a national leader is at least expected to be grave, show sadness, empathy and soberness. He was treating the whole affair as a joke in front of the whole world with his rich kid’s demeanor.
Anyway,…I like to suggest bloggers for Philippines & China tone down their arguments as outsiders are attempting to drive the momentum causing schism. With Noynoy, let’s give him a period to adjust…and hopefully change, should his visit to China in September at the invitation of Hu Jin Tao is confirmed.
What say you ?
Cyrus
I did not vote for him btw, but such is democracy he is the President for good and I will have to wait until the next Presidential election to see if My President gets elected.
The hostage crisis was a big screw up and it was personally under his leadership I myself does not approve on the handling of the crisis they might just sniped the taker before the cover of night. Surely a 7.6 bullet would be enough to put him down. Sabah is part of the Philippines it was leased to Britain and Britain gave it to Malaysia. Though I rather we did not push through with our claims for we are a little to late on that one. It has been developed by Malaysia let them have it.
The only problem Ozivan is that the Chinese themselves are instigating the conflict just recently the Philippine Navy dismantled a building within 100-150Miles from Palawan that is a blatant act of aggression to the Philippines notwithstanding the insult in creating a building so near our home.
I do agree peaceful dialogue would be best or just a retreat back to the status quo Philippines develop what it occupies same goes for China Vietnam and Taiwan and other claimants that way there would be no trouble? Sounds reasonable?
ozivan
@Cyrus. Sounds good to me. Done deal between you and me. Hip hip hooray.
Cyrus
Always a pleasure to talk with you. You are one of the few level headed person here.
Hope to cross pen with you soon.
Cyrus
Btw, Ozivan the protests only started when we hit the Communist’s here why they are so quick to protests if US Servicemen are visiting the Philippine and yet so quiet with Chinese aggression.
Hence they are back in the streets a little late mind you, but they would never admit face to face that they are communist’s. Looks like the Philippines never moved on the Cold War we are still combating Communist’s till now.
harry
All China has todo is to use its naval superamacy against vietnam.
1, Use saturation of defence tactics to destroy all air fields and important military and political instillations with ballistic and cruise missile.
2, Send air strikes to sink all major sea combatants.
3, set up naval blocade on all energy and trade routes, within few days there will be energy crisis and within a week the vietnamese economy will collapse causeing a rebelion aginst its government. even if USA wants to safe vietnam (which will not happen) it will take atleast 3 weeks for USA to fully deploy the carrier strike groups from West coast.
Frank
China should help Cambodia to recover the largest Island in dispute in South China Sea, the Phu Quoc Island.
Send in volunteer army to help if necessary or if Cambodia needs help.
If Vietnam attacks Cambodia again, then to declare entire Vietnam as no fly zone. Destroy Vietnamese air force and air defense.
Today’s China is NOT the China in 1979.
Micheal
Your comment showed you have no knowledge about Phu quoc island. Phu quoc islands is located in the Gulf of Thailand, NOT even near East sea.
tuusacvodo
War between Vietnam and China????
whow!! Thats what i am expecting. Come on Chinese people, wellcome to the hell. Are you sure china could win with its superamacy. Whats its superamacy??? was it stealing and copying from Russia???? and you call it superamacy????. it is amazing what are you proud of, isnt it???. For me, its just ASHAME!!!!!!