ASEAN-China Relations: Realities and Prospects

14. China-ASEAN Maritime Security Cooperation Situation and Proposals

China-ASEAN Maritime Security Cooperation Situation and Proposals 187 14 China-ASEAN Maritime Security Cooperation Situation and Proposals Wang Zhongchun and Li Yaqiang INTRODUCTION Security cooperation means that two or more international actors, driven by mutually beneficial interests, take common actions to deal with the national security or regional security affairs in a coordinated way in order to achieve the anticipated goals of their respective national security. China and ASEAN member countries are important neighbours and strategic partners linked by the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca to its west. Therefore, this region is of great geostrategic significance to the world. At the same time, China and ASEAN countries are faced with a number of common challenges in their maritime security. At present, almost all the countries in the region hope to strengthen cooperation in Asia-Pacific affairs, advocate building trust through dialogue, solve differences through consultation and seek security through cooperation. However, it should be pointed out that regional security cooperation between China and ASEAN falls far behind the regional economic 14 ASEAN-China Relations Ch 14 5/8/05, 9:04 AM 187 188 Wang Zhongchun and Li Yaqiang cooperation and development, and does not meet the needs of the developing regional security situation. In fact, China and ASEAN not only need the security cooperation, but have a great deal of common and complementary interests. Therefore, the maritime security cooperation between China and ASEAN has great strategic significance. The aim of this chapter is to analyse the situation of the China-ASEAN maritime security cooperation with a view to proposing steps to strengthen such cooperation.The following aspects are covered: (a) Geostrategic situation (b) Common challenges in China-ASEAN maritime security (c) A good beginning to the China-ASEAN maritime security cooperation (d) The basic foundation for the China-ASEAN maritime security cooperation (e) Principles of China-ASEAN maritime security cooperation (f) Flexible and diversified forms of ASEAN-China maritime security cooperation. GEOSTRATEGIC SITUATION The sea area around China and ASEAN states is at the crossroad linking the Indian and Pacific oceans as well as the Asian and Oceania continents. Since ancient times, this area has been the strategic sea lane of communication (SLOC) between the countries in the East, famously known as the “Silk Road at Sea”. With the continued development of economic globalization, this sea area is increasingly important to the global economic and military affairs. First, these waters house many straits and channels of strategic or sea traffic significance. For example, the Straits of Malacca is the strategic lane of communication linking the Pacific and Indian oceans. It is the communication hub at sea between the Asian, African and European continents and one of the busiest sea routes in the world with 30 per cent of the total world trade and almost 80,000 commercial ships each year running through it.1 Eighty per cent of China’s crude oil imports from the Middle East and Africa passes through the SLOC.2 Meanwhile, the Taiwan Straits and the Bashi Channel are the major lanes to approach the deep ocean from the littoral seas. Second, this sea area is rich in marine resources. It is one of the most affluent waters of the world in sea fishery, petroleum, natural gas and other marine mineral resources. It has a huge reserve of petroleum and natural gas and abundant sea resources. There is no doubt that the peaceful utilization of marine resources will play an active role in promoting the region’s economic development. 14 ASEAN-China Relations Ch 14 5/8/05, 9:04 AM 188 China-ASEAN Maritime Security Cooperation Situation and Proposals 189 COMMON CHALLENGES IN CHINA-ASEAN MARITIME SECURITY Differences left over from history still exist. After entering the 1990s, the region has witnessed sustained rapid economic development and tremendous expansion of foreign trade and investment. Against this backdrop, the demands for resources and the security of sea lanes are increasing, the strategic status of the seas is becoming more important. However, there remain some differences among countries in the region on such issues as claim of sovereignty over certain islands in the South China Sea, division of continental shelf, demarcation of exclusive economic zones (EEZs), etc. In the vicinity of the Spratly Islands there have been incidents such as the confrontation of military aircrafts and shooting by troops in outposts towards military aircrafts of other countries. Occasionally there have...