By Matthew Nichols
It’s time for the world to stop underestimating the severity of environmental damage in the South China Sea.
What has been largely overlooked in the conversation to date around China’s campaign of dredging and construction in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea is the necessary synthesis between the geopolitical and environmental aspects of the issue.
In recent months, U.S. Navy patrols in the South China Sea and denouncements from high-ranking U.S. officials have brought international attention to the troubling security implications of China’s actions.
A secondary line of reporting across the English-speaking world has also emphasized the ecological damage this artificial island-building is causing to a large system of coral reefs, with high-resolution satellite data illustrating the extent and pace of the damage.
With regard to these two lines of analysis–security and ecology–the conversation to date about the Spratly Islands has been notably and regrettably stove-piped.
To be clear, China’s actions constitute a violation of international law, a potential precursor to interference in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, and a catalyst for military confrontation in the region.
The worst case scenario—wherein the People’s Liberation Army Navy is able to “lock down” the South China Sea and prevent freedom of navigation by, say, a U.S. Navy carrier strike group or liquefied natural gas tankers headed for Japan—is worrisome on multiple levels.
But geopolitical concerns actually go hand-in-hand with ecological concerns.
Read the full story at The Diplomat