Sierra Madre | South China Sea
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- Context (IE): China has demanded the removal of the Sierra Madre ship. Philippines has rejected it.
About the Sierra Madre
- Sierra Madre was constructed in the US for World War II and commissioned in 1944 as a landing ship.
- Subsequently, it was sent to Vietnam during the US participation in the Vietnam War (1954-75).
- In 1976, it was transferred to the Philippines, an ally of the US.
- In the 1990s, the Philippines decided to bring this ship to the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef located in the South China Sea.
- In 1999, the Sierra Madre was left on the Second Thomas Shoal, which is a part of the mostly uninhabited Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
- The placement of the ship was deliberate in order to further its territorial claims.
- China also has deployed its ships in the vicinity. It has also directed water cannons at supply boats.
- The ship is largely dilapidated and rusting. However, for the Philippines, its removal would risk weakening its claims over the islands and the Chinese presence being established.
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Confrontation over the Spratly Islands
- For decades, countries in the region have extended overlapping claims on the South China Sea, claiming ownership over the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands.
- Along with issues over sovereignty, the rich oil and gas reserves in the region and its rich fishing waters have also encouraged countries to lay their claims.
- China took effective control of the disputed Scarborough Shoal after a tense standoff in 2012.
- In the Xi Jinping regime, China has assumed a hardened stance, claiming 90% of the South China Sea.
- China also rejected the 2016 International Court of Justice ruling regarding the South China Sea.
US response on the issue
- The US supports the Philippines as an important strategic ally.
- In May 2023, the two countries also agreed on new guidelines for a defence treaty from 1951.
- The guidelines reaffirm the invoking mutual defence commitments under the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in case of any aggression.
India’s stakes in South China Sea
- Freedom of navigation: The South China Sea is not China’s sea but a global common. India supports freedom of navigation and the rule of law across global commons.
- Sea Lane of Communication: It has been an important sea lane of communication since the very beginning, and passage has been unimpeded over the centuries.
- History of Indian presence: Indians have sailed these waters for well over 1,500 years, and there is ample historical and archaeological proof of a continuous Indian presence from Malaysia to China.
- Trade route: Nearly $200 billion of our trade passes through the South China Sea.
- Essential for regional peace: India shares the stakes in the peace and security of this region, which are essential for our economic well-being.
- Support to Philippines: India has reiterated support for Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty.