The rush to claim the ocean floor
- Source: The Global Times
- [18:11 May 21 2009]
- Comments
By the time this issue of the Global Times goes to print, the deadline will have arrived for member countries to submit claims over extended continental shelves to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS).
The rush to submit claims before the deadline is understandable, considering that oil and other natural resources lie beneath the underwater shelves.
Submission is a necessary gesture of state sovereignty, but may not help settle boundary conflicts. The CLCS, made up of 21 scientists, has no authority to arbitrate disputes. Its rules state forthrightly that “in cases where a land or maritime dispute exists, the commission shall not consider and qualify a submission made by any of the states concerned in the dispute.”
This doesn't stop countries from making bold claims.
Nearly every country in East and Southeast Asia has a boundary dispute of some sort with neighboring states, leading to frequent diplomatic quarrels. It's a sad fact that a conducive atmosphere in which to negotiate boundary agreements doesn't seem to exist in Asia, with no institution in place to advance the necessary communication between countries.
The reason is simple: territorial claims evoke such strong nationalism among Asian nations that no government dares to temper the debate. In some cases, weak governments cling to power by fanning popular sentiment against other countries.
Sovereignty disputes touch sensitive nerves still raw from past conflicts. Rich natural resources beneath the sea, crucial to sustain the Asian economic miracle, simply intensify competition over maritime territory.
No Asian government, China's included, can afford to be seen by its citizens as making concessions over territorial sovereignty – the political price is too high.
However, provocative claims won't lead to progress, and any country stirring up the conflict can expect a nasty response from the other parties involved.
China has proposed a solution which is likely the only way forward: lay aside territorial disputes in favor of jointly developing maritime resources. The proposal has unfortunately been spurned by many, leading to such chaos in the South China Sea that some countries are simply seizing disputed islands, either openly or covertly.
More bickering is expected as disputed claims are submitted to the CLCS, which has a complicated and unenviable task. Ultimately, a regional solution for disputes over continental shelves likely won't come from the UN, but rather from Asian nations themselves, which must seek consensus from increased dialogue.
Establishing an Asian maritime territorial negotiation mechanism to facilitate cooperation and communication is the first step. Without it, long-term peace in Asia will be hard to forge.