Abstract
The South China Sea, along with the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait, is
described as one of the three hotspots in East Asia because of its potential for
conflict of interest and threat to peace and security. Therefore, the issue of its
borders is of international importance. As a quasi-closed sea, it is home to
numerous small islands and cliffs, as well as abundant living and non-marine
reserves, as well as providing key maritime routes for commercial navigation.
For these reasons, the sea has become the target of conflict between coastal
countries and their neighbors. In this sea, the main issues in dispute are: 1-
Border disputes over the determination of the lines of origin, the boundaries of
the territorial seas and also the exclusive economic zone. Territorial disputes
over several islands, including the Paracel and Spratly archipelagos. Because of
its superior power, as well as some unproven historical claims, China sets the
nine-dash as the final line of its sovereignty, some of which extend as far as the
coastal sea. The United States and the countries bordering the South China Sea
strongly oppose this, as well as China’s historical claims. The littoral states of
the South China Sea consider the historic claims and the nine-dash claimed by
the Chinese government to be contrary to the laws of the UN Convention. The
United States, as a trans-regional player, also provides diverse support to coastal
countries. In this research, with a descriptive analytical approach and using new
sources, the disputed issues between the claiming countries have been studied
and the role of the United States in terms of geopolitical competition has been
analyzed.
Keywords: Border, South Sea, China, Paracel, Spratly, USA, Geopolitics.
More Information: Bahador Zarei, Shahabeddin Shafi (2022), “Geopolitical Analysis of Border and Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea”, International journal of Maritime Policy Vol. 2, Issue 5, Spring 2022, pp19-55, DOI: 10.22034/IRLSMP.2022.316507.1038, ISSN: 2717-4255.
Geopolitical_Analysis_of_Border_and_Terr
