Beijing, (TDI): The South China Sea has been highlighted as the world’s most active and accessible maritime region, with extensive military presence and activities conducted by nations both from within and outside the area, according to a recent report by a Beijing-based think tank, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI).
The report, outlines the sheer scale of military operations in the region, which includes tens of thousands of ship-days of surface force presence, nearly 30,000 sorties of military aircraft, hundreds of large-scale exercises, and thousands of smaller drills annually.
These activities involve not only the coastal states but also external powers like the United States, underscoring the strategic importance of the waterway.
The report asserts that while the South China Sea remains open and accessible for navigation and overflight, certain operations by the United States—such as Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), close-in reconnaissance activities, and intrusions into military exercise zones—are contributing to rising tensions.
It notes that most encounters between Chinese forces and foreign military vessels or aircraft occur in proximity to Chinese territorial waters and airspace, particularly near the Xisha and Nansha islands, also known as the Paracel and Spratly islands.
Frequent Encounters with US
According to the SCSPI, the US maintains a significant presence in the South China Sea, averaging around 1,600 ship-days of surface vessel activity, along with an undisclosed number of submarines.
In addition, US auxiliary vessels account for over 3,000 ship-days annually, while its Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Army carry out approximately 8,000 aircraft sorties each year.
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Frequent air and maritime encounters between Chinese and US forces are noted, with over 10 such interactions occurring daily, amounting to thousands annually.
Despite the high frequency, the think tank emphasizes that the majority of these encounters are professional and do not escalate into confrontational situations.
However, the report points out that friction typically arises when foreign military forces approach Chinese territorial waters and airspace near the mainland, Hainan Island, and features controlled by China in the Spratly and Paracel Islands.
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The report claims that the Chinese military, in such scenarios, acts within international norms by following and monitoring these foreign forces for safety and security reasons.
The report also criticizes the narrative propagated by some foreign militaries, which often describe Chinese activities in the South China Sea as aggressive and unsafe.
It argues that these accounts lack essential context, such as the precise locations of encounters and the reasons behind them, thereby presenting a skewed perspective.
