United States of America's Freedom of Navigation Operation in South China Sea and China's Response: Consequences Towards Littoral States

The South China Sea is strategically located between two oceans and hold vast deposits of mineral that has made the sea valuable to many states. It has been the centre of dispute and actions between United States of America, China and the littoral states. China's claim over the sea based on historical factor is against the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. United States action that disputes China claims through its Freedom of Navigation Operation has increased the tension in the area. Littoral states of the sea were caught in the middle of this major power rivalry and assertion of claims and rights in their backyard. This paper examines the effectiveness of United States action through Freedom of Navigation Operation in South China Sea towards China and analyses China's reaction towards the United States operation. The paper also evaluates the security and economic consequences towards littoral states resulting from this China-United States rivalry. Applying qualitative approach, the data collected from secondary sources such as books, journals, articles and reports from reputable libraries and online databases are analysed. The finding shows that keeping the sea open serves the interest of United States trade and defensive needs, while China's action in claiming most of the South China Sea is to ensure its survival and extending its strategic depth. Looking from the legal point of view, China's action is against the Convention that it has ratified, and the decision by Permanent Court of Arbitration, that it has ignored. The action by United States through its operation is much welcome by littoral states to keep China in check and obey the law in place. However, China' s economic relations with littoral states has swayed some member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during negotiation with China. Besides economic concern, the neglect of international law in South China Sea has strategic implications for littoral states security policy. It could be concluded that littoral states have taken steps to engage both major powers actively and strategize its actions to counter and leverage the changes that is taking place in the region.

Laut China Selatan yang terletak di kedudukan strategik antara dua lautan utama dan mempunyai sejumlah besar bahan mineral telah menjadikan laut tersebut amat bemilai bagi banyak negara. Laut ini telah menjadi medan pertikaian utama antara Amerika Syarikat, China dan negara pesisir laut tersebut. Tuntutan China keatas laut tersebut berdasarkan faktor sejarah adalah bertentangan dengan United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 . Oleh itu, tindakan Amerika Syarikat mempertikai tuntutan China menerusi Freedom of Navigation Operation telah meningkatkan lagi ketegangan di kawasan tersebut. Dalam pada itu, negara pesisir laut tersebut menjadi tersepit dalam persaingan tuntutan hak berhampiran negara mereka. Kertas kajian ini mengkaji keberkesanan tindakan Amerika Syarikat menerusi Freedom of Navigation Operation di Laut China Selatan terhadap China dan menganalisa tindakbalas China terhadap operasi Amerika Syarikat tersebut. Selain itu, kertas kajian ini juga menilai kesan keselamatan dan ekonorni terhadap negara pesisir yang bertitik tolak dari persaingan Amerika Syarikat dan China di Laut China Selatan. Kajian kualitatif ini dilaksanakan menerusi pengumpulan maklumat sekunder dan analisa daripada buku, jumal, artikel dan laporan yang terdapat di perpustakaan dan laman web terkemuka. Hasil kajian mendapati usaha untuk memastikan laut sentiasa terbuka dan bebas amatlah didambakan Amerika Syarikat bagi memenuhi kepentingan perdagangan dan pertahanannya, manakala tuntutan China terhadap hampir keseluruhan Laut China Selatan adalah untuk memastikan survival dan meningkatan pertahanan strategik negara tersebut. Jika dilihat dari sudut perundangan, tindakan China adalah bertentangan dengan Konvensyen yang telah ditandatanganinya dan seterusnya keputusan Mahkamah Timbangtara Antarabangsa yang telah diabaikannya. Oleh itu, tindakan Amerika Syarikat amatlah diharapkan oleh negara pesisir laut tersebut bagi memastikan China sentiasa dipantau dan mematuhi undang-undang yang berkuatkuasa. Namun demikian, China telah menggunakan hubungan ekonominya untuk mempengaruhi negara ahli Association of Southeast Asian Nations agar tidak terlalu mendesak China semasa rundingan dilaksanakan. Selain implikasi ekonomi, pengabaian undang-undang antarabangsa di Laut China Selatan juga telah menimbulkan implikasi strategik terhadap polisi keselamatan negara pesisir laut tersebut. Dapat disimpulkan negara pesisir Laut China Selatan telah mengambil langkah-langkah untuk berunding dengan dua kuasa utama tersebut secara aktif dan merancang strategi dan tindakan bagi mengimbangi perubahan yang berlaku di rantau ini.