Militarization of the South China Sea

As if China’s latest move of establishing a military garrison on the disputed Paracel Islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is not bad and provocative enough, now comes Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirming that it will complete the installation of a certain number of cannons and mortars on Taiping Island in the South China Sea next month in a move to enhance its military presence in the disputed seas amid the escalating conflict over the region.

Taiwan controls the Dongsha Islands, the largest island group in the South China Sea, as well as Taiping Island, the largest of the Spratly Islands and the only one where fresh water is available.

A total of eight sets of 40mm autocannons and a certain number of 120mm mortars is said to be shipped to the island by the end of August after a legislative committee demanded in May that the MND should do so on Taiping Island and Dongsha Island within six months.

What we seem to be seeing now is the beefing up of arms and forces in the most unlikely place between these two antagonistic countries.

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake, by force if necessary.
It must be recalled that Chiang Kai-shek's Republic of China (ROC) government, which fled the mainland to Taiwan in 1949, at first claimed to represent the whole of China, which it intended to re-occupy. It held China's seat on the United Nations Security Council and was recognized by many Western nations as the only Chinese government.

But in 1971, the UN switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing when the sleeping giant started waking up and flexing its muscles and the ROC government was forced out.

While China belittles Taiwan’s existence as a sovereign state, Taiwan’s leaders, however, claim that it is clearly much more than a province, arguing that it is a sovereign state, as it has its own constitution, democratically-elected leaders, and over 400,000 troops in its armed forces.

With the militarization of the South China Sea by the Chinese and Taiwanese governments, not to mention the minuscule presence of naval forces from the Philippines and Vietnam, which are both active participants in the sovereignty dispute in the region, the more that we see tension building up and the prospect of resolving the dispute slipping away.

For as long as China continues asserting, for historical reason, its claim of sovereignty over nearly all of the sea, which is believed to hold vast amounts of oil and gas, a rich fishing grounds and is home to shipping lanes that are vital to global trade, it leaves no doubt in everybody’s mind that the region will be an inevitable flashpoint in the years to come.