ASEAN stands idly by, as usual, on South China Sea

The latest developments in the South China Sea territorial dispute point to ASEAN’s long-running failure to deal with a major regional problem, highlighting the regional organization’s inherent weakness.

As the confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels near the Second Thomas Shoal within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) have grown sharper, the South China Sea has perhaps surpassed Taiwan as the most volatile flashpoint in eastern Asia.

On March 5, the Chinese Coast Guard again employed ramming and a water cannon to attempt to stop a much smaller Philippine vessel from resupplying the soldiers manning a ship intentionally grounded on the reef that serves as a Philippine guard post.

This time, the Chinese water cannon broke the window on the bridge of the Philippine supply boat, reportedly injuring four crewmen.

Based on its expansive “nine-dash line” claim to ownership over most of the South China Sea, Beijing claims that the Second Thomas Shoal is Chinese territory, demands that the Philippines tow away the grounded ship and refuses to allow repairs to the vessel, which is 80-years-old and falling apart.

Both Beijing and Manila are treating the showdown as a test of commitment to defending national territory under threat of theft by a foreign government. Manila’s ally, the United States, is obligated to protect Philippine ships and aircraft that come under “armed attack” under a mutual defense treaty.

Typical of its preference for gray-zone tactics, China keeps its actions just below the threshold of what would trigger a US military response. But China is now employing kinetic force that can cause bodily harm, seemingly very close to an “armed attack” even if not with firearms.

Furthermore,