China’s cynical opportunism in the South China Sea
China’s cynical opportunism in the South China Sea
WRITTEN BY ZACHARY HAVER
26 May 2020
Against the backdrop of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea continues unabated. In April, China established two new districts in Sansha City, provoked a confrontation with Malaysia that drew in Vietnamese, American, and Australian vessels, sunk a Vietnamese fishing boat near the Paracel Islands, and “named and claimed” a new list of features.
Observers have rightly suggested that much of this conduct is unsurprising, but Beijing’s behavior appears more egregious in the context of COVID-19. Such assertiveness shows that China’s leaders are willing to cynically exploit an international crisis to pursue their revisionist interests. Beijing’s persistent bullying in the South China Sea therefore risks further degrading China’s already tenuous regional and international image.
China’s recent actions in the South China Sea fall into several categories of assertiveness, all of which harm the interests of China’s Southeast Asian neighbors. Acts of coercion, such as deploying the Haiyang Dizhi 8 to harass a Malaysian drillship or sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat, hinder other claimants from freely within the South China Sea and exploiting its resources. Domestic administrative measures, such as the establishment of Xisha District and Nansha District in Sansha City, provide new policymaking resources and ultimately strengthen China’s ability to control contested areas. Declarative acts, such as naming and claiming a new list of islands, shoals, reefs, and various underwater features, proclaim China’s sovereignty and thereby antagonize China’s neighbors.
Beijing could have seized on COVID-19 as a chance to avoid blatant provocations in the South China Sea, focusing instead on earning goodwill in the region. Instead, Chinese leaders adopted the opposite approach.
The extent of China’s assertiveness during COVID-19 is already attracting heightened criticism from analysts. For example, Euan Graham describes Beijing’s confrontation with Malaysia as “cynically timed Chinese adventurism.” Similarly, Huong Le Thu argues that “China will further isolate itself and undermine any remaining trust in the region,” noting that China’s behavior is forcing regional governments to “carve out bandwidth” for the South China Sea in the middle of a global pandemic. Joshua Kurlantzick suggests that Beijing’s belligerence “undercuts China’s efforts to gain regional and global goodwill through aid to neighboring states.” These criticisms underscore the timing of China’s behavior as an issue that exacerbates existing concerns about Beijing’s approach to the South China Sea territorial disputes.
The confluence of COVID-19 and China’s irresponsible behavior is generating frustration in foreign capitals, drawing condemnation from foreign policy officials. For instance, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Beijing for “exploiting the world’s focus on the COVID-19 crisis by continuing its provocative behavior.” Australia’s Foreign Minister, Marise Payne, also expressed concern, suggesting that “it is vital at this time that all parties refrain from destabilising activities and work to ease tensions so the international community can devote full attention to responding cooperatively to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Teodoro Locsin Jr., the Philippines’ Secretary of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the uncomfortable situation that China’s assertiveness has created for the region, insisting that post-pandemic ‘social and economic recovery” in Asia “hinges on China’s recovery from the ravages of the pandemic” but that this recovery “can never be at the price of our honor and sovereignty.”
Public audiences are also taking note of Beijing’s opportunistically timed assertiveness. In late April, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines produced a now widely mocked music video about Sino-Philippine COVID-19 cooperation. This video glibly downplayed the territorial tensions between the two countries, generating frustration among viewers in the Philippines and inviting widespread derision online. An editorial in the Philippine Daily Inquirer argues that “Beijing had made its latest provocations while the rest of the world was distracted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” noting that “even as the Chinese ambassador was penning treacly lyrics… his country’s ships were meanwhile harassing Filipino fishermen and the Philippine Navy.” This incident highlights how Beijing has squandered potential public diplomacy gains from cooperation on COVID-19 in the region.
As this chorus of criticism demonstrates, Beijing’s relentless pattern of assertiveness in the South China Sea is reinforcing existing perceptions of China as an irresponsible power. Beijing could have seized on COVID-19 as a chance to avoid blatant provocations in the South China Sea, focusing instead on earning goodwill in the region. Instead, Chinese leaders adopted the opposite approach.
Given Beijing’s stubborn disregard for the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2016 ruling and its continuous militarization of features in the South China Sea, its belligerence in the face of COVID-19 is unsurprising. However, the predictability of this behavior does not lessen its consequences, both for the countries affected and for China’s image. By kicking its Southeast Asian neighbors while they are down, China is showing itself once again to be a cynical bully.
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of the 9DASHLINE.com platform.
Author biography
Zachary Haver is a Washington DC-based China analyst. He specializes in the South China Sea, maritime infrastructure, and Chinese investment. Image credit: Wikipedia Commons