Why does India want to contain China in the South China Sea?

In recent years, the South China Sea has got geopolitical and defence experts sounding the alarm. While some pundits have been talking about how it could be a source of potential instability for the Asian region, others have warned that it could be where the next war plays out. It’s been talked about extensively, as China continues to exert its presence there while other countries, including India and the US, try to contain the Dragon’s reach in troubled waters.

Amid this situation, we deep dive into why exactly is the South China Sea important in the Indo-Pacific region and India’s growing involvement in the disputes emanating there.

The South China Sea dispute, explained

The South China Sea, spread across 3,500,000 km, is bounded in the north by China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and the Philippines, and in the south by the Indonesia.

The countries —China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam, surrounding this sea, however, have bickered over territorial control for centuries, with tensions soaring to new heights in recent years. It’s important to note that Brunei is the only party that does not lay claim over any disputed islands, but it does say part of the sea falls within its exclusive economic zone.

Of these countries, China eyes it the most, claiming almost all of it to be under their control. It marks out most of the South China Sea as its sovereign territory with the so-called “nine-dash line”, claiming historic rights.

But other countries have refuted China’s claim. In fact, in 2013 the Philippines took this matter to an international tribunal in The Hague, which ruled against China. Beijing, however, refused to take part in the hearings and rejects the ruling.

As per a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) report, Beijing has increased efforts to reclaim land in the South China Sea, by either increasing the size of islands or creating new islands altogether. Additionally, China has constructed ports, military installations, and airstrips — particularly in the Paracel and Spratly Islands, where it has 20 and seven outposts, respectively.

Moreover, in the past few years, Beijing has also tried to stop other nations from conducting any military or economic operation without its consent, saying the sea falls under its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Importance of the South China Sea

But why is it that China keeps exerting its claim on the waters?

That’s because there are 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in deposits under the South China Sea, according to the estimates of the United States Energy Information Agency.

Also, the sea is a rich fishing ground; the BBC had previously reported that more than half of the world’s fishing vessels operate in these waters.

Apart from this, the South China Sea is also a major trade route. As per the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, over 21 per cent of global trade, amounting to a whopping $3.37 trillion transited through the waters in 2016.

There’s also China’s ambitions at play. As an essay in GlobalChallenges stated, “Chinese territorial and maritime claims over large swaths of the South China Sea are based not only on economic and security considerations, but also on national identity making and the renewal of China’s past grandeur, which today is taking the form of President Xi Jinping’s vision of the “China dream” (Zhōngguó mèng).”

Perhaps, it is because of this view that China takes the matter of South China Sea as a “domestic issue” and not something over which other claimant states – and even less so the international community – should have a say.

The Wilson Centre also adds that by exerting its strength in the South China Sea, China is aiming to push back against the US-led world order. It further notes that if China is able to permanently expand into the waters, global geopolitics will enter a new and different era. “Southeast Asia will inevitably be rendered subordinate and compliant to China’s will.”

India’s growing influence in South China Sea

The United States has maintained that the waters are crucial to its national interest and often conducts freedom of navigation operations (Fonops) through the area in a message to all parties. And in an attempt to contain China’s presence in the waters, Washington has increased its military activity and naval presence in South Asia. Moreover, it has also provided weapons and aid to China’s opponents.

India, too, sees Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea as a threat to the regional balance of power, prompting it to bolster its naval presence in the region. In fact, in recent years, New Delhi has been increasingly involved in the disputes arising in the waters.

It’s important to note that this is a major shift in stance for New Delhi; earlier, it had maintained a neutral stance on the tribunal’s order on the South China Sea.

In 2019, the Indian Navy for the first time conducted joint exercises with the US, Japanese, and Philippine navies in the South China Sea. Then in 2020 and 2021, India held naval exercises with the Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, and Indonesia. In May 2023, India for the first time sent warships to participate in a two-day joint exercise with the navies of seven ASEAN states in the South China Sea.

India has also increased its military sales to the Philippines and Vietnam. For instance, in 2022, New Delhi inked a deal with the Philippines for 100 BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles . A year later, in July 2023, New Delhi announced that it would deliver the Indian Missile Corvette INS Kirpan to the Vietnamese navy. In the same year, India also offered the Philippines at least seven helicopters that would be used for the rescue and humanitarian efforts of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) during disasters in the country.

Reasons for India’s growing influence

But what’s behind India’s growing influence in this sphere? There are multiple reasons. Firstly, India is concerned that tensions in these waters could affect its trade as well as balance in the region. New Delhi, as The Diplomat writes in an essay, wants to prevent tensions from spilling into the Indian Ocean, the traditional sphere of influence for India.

Moreover, New Delhi sees the South China Sea as a furtherance to Modi’s “Act East Policy”.

There’s also the US factor at play. By aligning with the US, India is able to further its partnership with Washington — a win-win situation for both countries.

As an ORF report states, “This will annoy Beijing, but rattling China is necessary if India is to suitably protect its interests from the Himalayas to the maritime domain.”

With inputs from agencies

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