South China Sea Dispute And Its Influence In Asia

The constant demand for natural resources is transforming the South China Sea into a complex dispute, at the risk of being a stage for military conflict between states claiming sovereignty over the cluster of islands and rocks, more precisely Spratly Islands and Paracel. On stage we have China, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei in the first dimension, then the U.S., Japan, Russia, Australia and South Korea in the second dimension and finally The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).Some experts argue that the natural resources are the cause of the regional dispute. However, in my opinion, what I am trying to demonstrate in this study is that the reasons for the dispute are very complicated, due to the various actors who are on stage. The South China Sea is one of the most important trade routes of the world’s energy, for one third of the world’s oil and more than half of the global liquefied natural gas passes through the South China Sea every year.In this study I analyze the dynamics behind this dispute from the perspectives of territorial sovereignty, national interest, the Power, Economic and Military Power. I also point out solutions to the conflict through international law and cooperation. Finally, I emphasize the importance of both the geostrategic point of view and a geopolitical standpoint.