Name: Bote, Mary Rose Editha D.

Course & Sec: AB Foreign Service- 201

Full name of Course: Political and Economic Geography

Professor: Mr. Jumel G. Estrañero

China and Philippines: The territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea

INTRODUCTION

The territory is one of the indicators of the sovereign states, an essential concept to
effectively control state ownership. This involves borders which are determined as the extent of
the political power in the scope of the single governing entity. Merriam-Webster defined territory
as the geographical area whether land or sea belonging to the jurisdiction of the state authority.
However, this will become problematic if the two states are claiming ownership of the particular
geographical area. This has a relationship with one of the prominent issues in the territorial
dispute between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea. The West Philippine
Sea is situated on the west side of the Philippines in which the maritime rights belong to the
extent of the country. Given the fact that it is composed of different maritime zones, each of
those has especial right exclusively to the Philippines as part of its territory. In addition, the
geographical area of this sea is composed of hundreds of reefs, rocks and shoal, and tons of
fish which are a potential factor for one's economy (Limos, 2019). This proves that it is also one
of the main reasons why this territorial sea catches the interest of other countries to put their
maritime claim particularly China. Recently, the overlapping maritime claims have escalated the
tension on both states. One of the overlaying causes of the said dispute according to
Mangosing (2021), is the illegal presence of the Chinese Coast Guard all over the West
Philippine Sea. This became a challenge on the part of the Philippines to continue to patrol
knowing that numerous Chinese vessels are remaining on the said sea. The second cause is
that China continues to become persistent in their unregulated fishing of the Chinese vessels in
the said area. This is an alarming situation particularly for the Filipino fishermen because there
will be a huge loss on their job. Consequently, their way of living will also be affected since
fishing is their main source of food. At the same time, the Philippines will face numerous losses
in terms of its economy. This paper will analyze the territorial claim of China and the Philippines
over the West Philippine Sea, and how this affects the political relationship of both states along
with its economy. On the other hand, given the definition of territory above, it is worthy to note
that the West Philippine Sea is considered as one of the Philippines' territories.

BODY

Philippines and China have their respective territorial claims on the West Philippine Sea.
To illustrate, the Philippines strongly believed that the West Philippine Sea falls under the
country's jurisdiction for three main reasons. The first reason is that the Philippines has a legal
basis to support its claim on the said territory. According to Ramos (2021), the West Philippine
Sea is part of the country's borders since the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of this area
stretches 200 nautical miles from the baseline. This evidence shows that the Philippines itself
has a right to fight for its territory because it is part of its jurisdiction. This is crucial for the
Philippines because it is a matter of taking necessary measures and actions to get what is for
them in the first place. The second reason is the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
last 2016 wherein the Court favored the claim of the Philippines (Limpot, 2020). The victory is in
hands of the country even in the past years which led them to pursue their right on the territory
along with its natural resources. It serves as an advantage for the Philippines to be firm on their
desire to claim their territory as the Court recognized the sovereign rights over the West
Philippine Sea. Further, this ensures the country that they are on the right path in the overall
process of this maritime dispute. The third reason is how Esmaquel II (2015), argued that the
so-called China's 9- dash line has no legal basis under international law to continue its presence
in the West Philippine Sea. This mainly proved that China has no possession of the territorial
sea. This is insufficient for them to take illegal activities on the area based on its historical rights.
On the other hand, China strongly claimed that they have jurisdiction over the West Philippine
Sea as their territory. For instance, one of the integral parts of this territory is the Spratly Island
which China practically called "Nansha Island" as part of its territorial component. This country
believed that their desire to accumulate natural resources should be done and to recognize their
leadership in the said region (Gacal, 2013). Currently, China still firm with its claim in the
maritime dispute. As a matter of fact, in the news report written by Andrande 2021, China
considered the West Philippine Sea as their "traditional fishing ground" for so how many years
despite the decision of the Court. This is still in a relationship with their claim on the 9 dash line
that was adopted from Chinese maps in the 1940s as the basis of Beijing's claim that all the sea
and land feature within the line is their territory including the West Philippine Sea (Shukla,
2020). However, this is believed as not factual for the reason that this is not supported by the
arbitral tribunal. Moreover, there are pieces of evidence that show how China is committed to
bending the rules for the sake of expanding its territory. The confidence that China holds saying
it has the same rights as archipelagic states led to the abuse and misapplication of laws. In the
same light, the occurrence of numerous Chinese vessels within the West Philippine Sea is just a
sign that China will continue its activities on the sea waters. Given the two claims of both states,
it is evident that the Philippines has sovereign rights to claim the West Philippine Sea as its
territory. According to Nepomuceno (2021), it is just for the country to defend its territory against
the claim of China. As a result, the country will increase its assets to protect the sovereign rights
of the Philippines and also to protect the freedom to fishing for the Filipino fisherman. In the end,
the country has more advantages and assets compared to China since the Philippines have a
legal basis on their claim unlike the supposed historical rights of China. On the contrary, this is
not an easy fight for the Philippines knowing China is one of the powerful states in the context of
the international arena. Hence, this is crucial for the Philippines to know the factors that need to
be considered along the way. In the end, it is a matter of how the government could decide to
perform what is best for the country and the citizens.

ANALYSIS

The maritime dispute between the Philippines and China may challenge the political
relationship of both states and will affect the economic interest. The current administration's
independent foreign policy towards China is one of the highlighted reasons how the Philippines
observed the behavior of China in the West Philippine Sea. This is not acceptable on the side of
the Philippines knowing that China had violated the sovereignty of the country such as the
militarization, the harassment towards Filipino fisherman, and its illegal activities. It is evident
how the Philippines has cool off with its relationship with China since their relations have been
dominated because of the territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea. However, it is worthy
to note that the country is still making sure that this will not damage the political relationship with
China because this cannot deny the fact the relationship of these states is growing as part of
history. The two are still committed to ensuring good-neighborly relations to prevent bilateral
issues. Yes, it is right for the Philippines to defend its territorial sovereignty and to give focus on
the concerns in terms of the geopolitical, however, the country is still balancing the situation on
the proper ways to deal with this territorial dispute. Despite the illegality that China had done,
the current administration still emphasizes the long-term bilateral cooperation with China. In the
context of the economy, this territorial dispute truly affects the economy of the Philippines
particularly its negative implication to the fishing industry. Since China has continuously done
some illegal activities in the area, there are at least 16,000 hectares of destroyed reefs as of
2017 and the total damage is estimated to reach up to P 33.1 billion per year according to
Bolledo 2021. This has also a detrimental effect on the Filipino fishermen because there will be
a sudden loss in their sources of income due to the presence of Chinese fishing vessels. The
economy of the Philippines as a whole is also affected since there will be a disruption in their
case as one of the major fish producers in the world. Lastly, the geographical area of the West
Philippine Sea will also be affected because there will be damage to the natural resources such
as the coral reefs caused by the dredging activities that China has been doing in the area.

RECOMMENDATION

The present situation that the Philippines is experiencing nowadays is tough due to the
growing tension with China in the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea. One of the
recommendations I would like to make is that the Philippines should strengthen its security. The
country should take preventive measures to ensure that the territory will be defended, at the
same time, ensuring the safety of the citizens particularly the Filipino fishermen. This is the
condition that the Philippines should give focus on because China is well known for its military
powers. Considering the military power of the Philippines, people cannot deny the fact that the
country is too weak compared to China. However, this is not a valid reason to neglect the
security and safety of the people. Second, I would recommend that the Philippines should be
firm enough on its claim of ownership. Yes, China may be a developed country, however, the
country should consider its edge for having a legal basis. Firm in a way that the government
should not be easily dictated by other parties, but strong enough to pursue its goal for sake of
the country. Decision-making is vital to achieving the desired outcome with this issue. The
solution will be possible without a decision. The process in the decision-making should not only
evolve with the single entity but most especially with other government entities especially
considering the advice of the legal advisers. Third, the protest that the Philippines should do is
gentleness, not violence. The aggression and violence should have resorted because this will
only bring destruction and not a solution. Gentleness is also a means of courage to defend the
territory that resists war and violations. This allows the state to come up with a better solution
and consider the possible consequences of every action. The steps that the Philippines will be
taking will bring the country to achieve its purpose without having an enemy. Lastly, the
Philippines should conduct peaceful and diplomatic negotiations without compromising the
ownership of the territory. Cooperation is still essential for the maintenance of peace and
maintaining a good relationship with China. War is not a necessary action in this dispute. The
goal is to pursue diplomatic negotiation to ease the tension between states and to achieve a
mutual benefit.

CONCLUSION

In a nutshell, the tension in the West Philippine Sea does not fully affect the political
relationship between the Philippines and China. The Philippines still maintains its relationship
with China as long as this state will not go further beyond its limitation as well as militarization
on the said territory. Both of the states are still in the good faith but this does not necessarily
mean that the Philippines will agree with China to claim any of the territories in the archipelagic
state. In addition, the country is still in progress on its proper remedy and measure in defending
the territory. But for now, it is reasonable to know that both governments chose to maintain their
friendly relationship with one another despite the occurrence of territorial issues. Conversely,
the territorial dispute affects the economy of the Philippines for three reasons. First, Filipino
fishermen lost their freedom to fish on the said sea because of the Chinese vessels surrounding
the area. Therefore, it affects their way of living especially their job and sources of food.
Second, the potential growth in the Gross Domestic Product is not feasible since there are tons
of fish that China was accumulated. This will bring uncertainties to the overall economy of the
country. Third, the potential wealth of the Philippines through its natural resources was put in an
unwanted situation. There are shreds of evidence shows that it was damaged due to illegal
activities conducted by China. The paper also examined the importance of territory from the
perspective of the state. It is not just a particular geographical area, but it is also a place for the
development of one's economy. In the same vein, claiming territory is significant because this is
attributed to state sovereignty to have jurisdiction over it. Finally, a territory should be defended
especially in the case of the Philippines which has a legal right to claim the West Philippine Sea.

WAY AHEAD

The current territorial conflict between the Philippines and China in the West Philippine
Sea is a reflection of how the state is behaving when their territory is claiming by other states.
This is one of the pressing factors why territory is highly valued and volatile because this is a
way to boost the political power of the country. This serves as an instrument for the economy to
grow, to strengthen the military power, and for the territory to expand. It is a matter of decision
for the government to defend its territory, at the same time, giving its best to still maintain the
political relationship with the other party. The Philippines is expected to take necessary
measures to maintain peace and security without compromising territorial rights. Moreover, to
take actions to recover the economy from the losses in this territorial dispute. For instance, this
issue somehow serves as an eye-opener for the citizens on what extent should be done to
defend what is for them. This paper will be significant in the long run to show that the best way
to defend its territory is through knowing the legal rights, considering the consequences with its
political relationship, and through diplomatic negotiation for the maintenance of peace and
security.
 REFERENCES

Andrande, J. 2021. China intent on occupying West Philippine Sea. Inquirer. Retrieved on
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1414787/dnd-chief-china-intent-on-occupying-west-ph-sea

Bolledo, J. (2021). Fishing industry might collapse if Chinese incursion continues – scientists.
Rappler. Retrieved on https://www.rappler.com/nation/fishing-collapse-if-chinese-
incursion-continues-scientist

Esmaquel II, P. (2015). EXPLAINER: Philippines' 5 arguments vs China. Rappler. Retrieved on

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/philippines-china-hague-arguments-explanation

Gacal, C. (2013). An Assessment of the Philippine Initiatives. https://www.hsdl.pdf

Limpot, K. (2020). DFA chief says PH arbitral win on West Philippine Sea ‘non-negotiable,’ as
country marks 4th year of Hague ruling. CNN. Retrieved on
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/7/12/del-rosario-hague-ruling-fourth-
anniversary.html

Limos, M. (2019). A Brief Explainer on the West Philippine Sea. Esquire. Retrieved on
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/west-philippine-sea-explained-

Mangosing, F. (2021). China Coast Guard maintains ‘illegal presence’ in West PH Sea – task

force. Inquirer. Retrieved on https://globalnation.inquirer.net/195632/china-coast-guard-

maintains-illegal-presence-in-west-ph-sea-task-force

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Territory. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 23, 2021,

from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/territory

Nepomuceno, P. (2021). PH ready to defend sovereignty, marine resources. Philippine News

Agency. Retrieved on https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles
Ramos, C. (2021). West Philippine Sea ‘ours’ despite China-built structures, says DFA chief.
Inquirer. Retrieved on https://globalnation.inquirer.net/194744/west-philippine-sea-ours-
despite-china-built-structures-says-dfa-chief

Shukla, S. What is nine-dash line? The basis of China’s claim to sovereignty over South China
Sea. The print. Retrieved on https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/what-is-nine-dash-line-
the-basis-of-chinas-claim-to-sovereignty-over-south-china-sea

MESSAGE TO THE PROFESSOR

Hello Sir Jumel, I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for all the knowledge that
you've given to us. Honestly, this whole semester was hard for me because I am having a hard
time balancing my time when it comes to academics, household chores, and having some
sidelines to have an extra income. On the other hand, I am still thankful because even though I
have struggles, I know that this will be helpful in the future especially in the actual work
environment. These are just tiny steps that I need to face because this will serve as my
preparation especially in any government agency. I have a lot of lessons that I learned from this
subject Political and Economic Geography. We had a lot of discussions to know every concept
attached to it. Aside from this, we also had a short discussion to tackle the assigned topic
you've given to us. I believe this is helpful to have additional knowledge and you serve as the
instrument to bring the best in us in terms of reporting.

I will take in mind those lessons that we've discussed because I know that these will play
a significant role throughout my college years in LPU-C. Personally Sir, I also admired how
intelligent you are in any aspects whether in terms of academics, or life lessons. Aside from this,
I also admire how you serve the Lord despite your busy schedule. I can relate to you because I
also allotted time to serve the Lord through our virtual bible meeting. It is indeed true that God is
my guidance in everything that I do in this online setup. Lastly, I also want to thank you for your
initiative to invite us to different seminars. Even though there are conflicts in the schedule, we
still appreciate your efforts for the class. I hope that God will bless you more and your family.
Once again, thank you, and always keep safe.