The Philippines is setting up an airport in the South China Sea on an island it occupies, asserting its claims in the disputed waters amid rising tension with Beijing. It would be built on Pag-asa island, known internationally as Thitu Island which lies in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. It is a move to enhance connectivity for both civilian and military access to the island.
Under the Marcos administration, the government has gone the extra mile to build infrastructure projects to open up its remote islands for new investments. They have also prioritized strengthening their tourism sector and ease of transportation to these remote places.
Building an airport in disputed waters by the Philippines shows its resolve to keep its presence in the South China Sea, despite disputes with a rising power in the region. Tensions over the strategic waterway have soared in the past few months following intense confrontations between the vessels of the Philippines and China.
The Philippines have not backed down on its claims and are working to bolster its presence in the contested waters.
Defense agreements between Philippines and the United States
Both the countries have signed multiple agreements over the years deepening their ties in the defense sector to combat aggressions by China in the South China Sea.
In 2014, they signed Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which allows the US to upgrade and establish facilities within existing military bases of the Philippines. The US can also deploy its troops on a rotational basis in these bases.
As per the EDCA agreement, they have identified a few bases which are located near Taiwan in the South China Sea. Last year four new sites were added which the US military can access under EDCA. One such site is in the island of Balabac in Palawan province where a military runway is at its final stages of completion.
International ruling against China in the territorial contest with Philippines
In 2013, the Philippines instituted proceedings against China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In 2016, the international arbitral in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines and dismissed China’s claims. The tribunal has clarified that the so-called 10-dash line that China claims has no legal basis and is unreasonable without any recorded proof. This line encroaches on exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
China paid no regards to the ruling and had continued building and militarizing artificial islands along the South China sea while consistently opposing any developments or military activities by other states.
Why is dominance over the South China Sea important for China’s steady growth?
It is considered one of the busiest waterways in the world. It is a nutrient-laden region, rich in hydrocarbons and in marine life too. It is geo-strategically significant waterway from where international maritime trade routes connect the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
For China, the importance of maritime trade routes lying in the South China sea is incomparable. More than 60% of its imports and exports are that flow from the South China Sea is crucial for its uninterrupted economic growth and energy security.
The construction of new facilities and also military access given by few states to the US will further increase the confrontations at sea since it will affect China’s dominance in the region.
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