The tensions between China and the Philippines stem primarily from territorial disputes in the South China Sea, particularly over the Spratly Islands, Scarborough Shoal, and the broader maritime region.
The Nine-Dash Line
Tensions between China and the Philippines began in 1947 after China published its first official map featuring the nine-dash line, claiming nearly the entire South China Sea.
The term “nine-dash line” refers to the nine dashes (originally 11 in earlier versions) that appear on Chinese maps to demarcate its claimed territory in the South China Sea.
These dashes form a U-shaped line that encloses about 90% of the South China Sea, extending hundreds of miles from China’s mainland and overlapping with the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.
China’s claim based on the nine-dash line lacks solid grounding under international law, as the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected its validity.
Occupation of Mischief Reef
The dispute between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea began escalating in the 1970s when both nations started to stake claims on the Spratly Islands following reports of rich oil and gas reserves in the region.
Throughout the 1990s, confrontations between China and the Philippines became more frequent, with notable incidents such as China’s occupation of Mischief Reef in 1995. Mischief Reef is located within the Spratly Islands, lying well within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), about 130 nautical miles west of Palawan.
According to international law under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an Exclusive Economic Zone of any country extends up to 200 nautical miles (about 370 kilometres) from a coastal state’s baseline, which is typically the low-water mark along the coast.
Construction of Artificial Islands
The occupation of Mischief Reef by China is a critical event in the South China Sea dispute. In 1995, the Philippine government discovered that China had built structures on Mischief Reef, which Beijing initially claimed were for fishing purposes. However, these structures were fortified over time, clearly signalling military intent.
In the years following the initial occupation, China further developed Mischief Reef, turning it into one of its major military outposts in the Spratly Islands. After 2014, as part of China’s broader strategy to fortify its South China Sea claims, it began land reclamation and construction projects on Mischief Reef, transforming it into an artificial island with an airstrip, ports, and military installations, including radar systems, hangars, and other defense structures.
Recent Developments
China has drastically increased its military presence in the West Philippine Sea in the last year, with hundreds of Chinese vessels reported by Philippine authorities last September. These tensions have led to several provocations in the last year, like the clash between Chinese and Filipino vessels last August near the Sabina Shoal, with multiple incidents of ramming and water cannon use by Chinese ships against Filipino vessels.
As a response, the USA and the Philippines further tightened their alliance, conducting joint military drills together with other countries Australia and Japan. The Philippines has also been upgrading its military in preparation for a potential conflict with China.
