Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesia-parliament-set-ratify-sea-boundary-with-vietnam-lawmaker-says-2025-05-01/
Indonesia and Vietnam are set to agree on new sea boundaries in the highly-contested South China Sea. Indonesia signed this deal in an effort to reduce the number of Vietnamese fishers in its waters, which has caused tensions between the two countries over the years. This agreement broadcasts to the world that they are ignoring China’s claims in the sea, which encompasses almost the entire body of water. The ratification is set to be formally agreed upon on Monday.
Looks like Indonesia and Vietnam aren’t afraid to poke the bear here. China is already going off on The Philippines for their claims. Maybe if they band together and get the United States involved, they can drive China back. However, China is extremely stubborn, especially when it comes to these South China Sea exclusive economic zones. Plus, I’m not sure how invested the United States is in intervening here. China is acting like a huge baby here, whining and causing chaos because they don’t want to share. Sounds like something out of a preschool.
This relates to class because China is using its hegemonic power, both hard and soft, in the South China Sea. China is a hegemon of the region, which means it oversees relations and essentially controls the region surrounding it. It’s using soft power by dominantly claiming land and threatening neighboring countries with its projected military power. Sometimes, they use their hard power, harassing fishing vessels, blocking passages, and forcing collisions with their own Navy and Coast Guard vessels. This also relates to class because we can perform geopolitical analysis on this situation. All these countries want the South China Sea because it is rich in resources and is a popular maritime trade route. Therefore, some countries are willing to do whatever it takes to gain control of these economic zones.