On Friday, December 6, 2024, navy ships sent by both Japan and the Philippines were sent to the South China Sea, while the United States flew a reconnaissance aircraft over the waters. This was in response to China firing water cannons and sideswiping a naval ship belonging to the Philippines in the disputed fishing area, Scarborough Shoal, off the Northwestern Philippines The patrol occurred in the Philippines’ economic zone, 40 nautical miles from Scarborough Shoal. The United States Indo-Pacific Command stated that the patrol was led to “uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight” and “other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace.” China has claimed the South China Sea and is continuing its aggressiveness towards other ships in the waters from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The United States, Japan, The European Union, and other Western countries have been closely watching the activities in the South China Sea. Japan has condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea and has warned about growing conflict between the two countries in the East China Sea. Japan is now giving 1.6 billion yen to the Philippine navy and is helping them build their air force. The U.S. has stated it is obligated to defend the Philippines if it comes under attack.
With rising tensions in the South and East China Seas, we should expect more media coverage. The joint training operations will lead to more conflict in the region as China becomes more aggressive and hostile to naval ships entering the waters that they have claimed. We will soon see that China will claim the rest of the East China Sea as well.
Since the U.S. has stated they will defend the Philippines if they are attacked, the U.S. should become more active in the South China Sea as they have been attacked by China numerous times. Japan, the United States, and the Philippines should continue their joint training programs and reconnaissance but also include Indonesia and other countries that have been having conflicts with China. China should increase patrols in the area and also they should lower their aggression towards ships as it gives them bad media coverage and another reason for other countries to continue to fight over the waters.
This situation connects to what we are discussing in class with the types of international environments. This is connected to the Hobbesian type rather than the Lockean or Kantian type. The Hobbesian type of international environment says that states are enemies and rivals that engage in power politics and Zero-Sum outcomes to conflict. This situation leans more Hobbesian because we haven’t seen much communication between the states but more physical conflict and aggression.