Disputes over territory and resources in the South China Sea are becoming more heated. The Philippines, Vietnam, China and other countries around the body of water have on many occasions used military maneuvers, fishery conservation, surveys, prospecting for resources and other activities to stake their respective claims to sovereignty and maritime rights associated with islands and shoals in the Spratly Islands (南沙) and other island chains. They have also submitted their sovereignty claims to UN agencies specializing in the fields of maritime law and sea-related issues.
For a while these countries stuck to an unspoken agreement to set aside sovereignty issues in favor of joint development of resources. Now, however, that consensus has broken down and tensions have arisen that will be hard to dispel in the short term. Given the reality that power speaks loudest, Taiwan can only take part by employing soft power and forming alliances. Working out the best ways to do this will take a lot of wisdom and clever strategic thinking.
There have been many maritime disputes in recent years; the situation in the South China Sea is the tip of the iceberg. A renewed scramble for power over the oceans has been heralded by a range of disputes over maritime territory. In addition to the South China Sea, other examples include the East China Sea, the Arctic Ocean, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), the Kuril Islands, the Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo or Takeshima) and the Okinotori reefs. The underlying reason for these disputes is that resources on land are getting scarcer and the world’s seas and oceans — which cover 71 percent of the Earth’s surface — contain rich and varied resources that will be of great value to whomsoever exploits them, and so they are becoming a new focus for global competition.
In view of this trend, countries that border the sea keep coming up with new strategies to expand their development and control over it. The UK views the development of marine sciences as a revolution in this new century, but it is not alone. The EU as a whole intends to become more competitive and take a leading position in international maritime affairs. The US and Japan see maritime affairs as an important part of their national development strategies and they aim to get ahead in the new round of international competition over the seas and oceans. All these are indications of a new worldwide trend for countries and alliances to claim marine resources.
Taiwan occupies a pivotal position in the Asia-Pacific region and has plentiful marine resources, so it clearly enjoys a natural advantage with regard to developing marine industries. Notably, the sea offers a wealth of renewable energy potential. This renewable energy is a key requirement for Taiwan’s development, given that we depend on imports for more than 90 percent of our energy consumption.
Unfortunately, Taiwan’s governments have always paid more attention to the land than to the sea. Consequently, while conventional fisheries have advanced to some extent, Taiwan’s development of non-biological marine resources is still in its infancy. For example, Taiwan’s wind-power generation capacity in 2008 was just 19.459 megawatts. The total output of Taiwan’s marine economy is NT$573.2 billion (US$19.36 billion), which is only about 5 percent of GDP — much lower than the US’ 50 percent, Japan’s 14 percent and China’s 10 percent.
Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) put forward a policy of developing Taiwan as a maritime nation and his successor, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), maintains a similar policy, but in both cases it has been more a matter of slogans than action. Many years have passed since such slogans were first raised, but the good ship Taiwan is still moored at the quay. A Cabinet-level council of marine affairs is scheduled to be established next year, but the project is mired in controversy. The council’s level of authority is uncertain and, more crucially, its structure remains incomplete. Aside from that, we have seen no practical achievements, such as active steps to conserve fisheries, that could allow Taiwan to find a niche and a beneficial orientation amid fierce competition over marine resources which lies ahead.
Taiwan does face many difficulties in handling marine affairs. Our potential zone of exclusive jurisdiction overlaps with those of Japan, the Philippines, China and other countries. While there have been endless disputes over the demarcation of territorial waters, our government has done little or nothing to defend Taiwan’s interests.
Taiwan has severe shortages of talented people and funding in foreign affairs, negotiation, science and other related fields. Taiwan’s funding for marine science for this year is just NT$328 million, a pittance compared to the US$27 billion that the US government allocates to marine science research and development. Consequently, Taiwan lacks the capacity to take part in international collaborative projects.
The people in charge of Taiwan are accustomed to seeing things from a land-based point of view, so our country lacks mechanisms for setting clear-cut maritime policies and harmonizing the operations of various sectors. Powers and responsibilities for managing marine affairs are spread out among various departments with no clear division of labor, leading to failures of management. This often results in damage to our marine ecology and overexploitation of fishery resources. Poor planning in marine industries gives rise to endless conflicts between various businesses and sectors that use the sea. These and other deficiencies have impeded Taiwan’s progress in relation to the ocean.
The seas around Taiwan are part of the nation’s territory and they have an important role to play in the country’s survival and development. However, Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation makes it hard for us to participate in international maritime affairs. If Taiwan is to overcome these difficulties, it needs new ways of thinking and new marine strategies. Such a change of bearings would enable us to sail safely through stormy weather. Disaster prevention and relief, regional trade and economic cooperation, peacekeeping on the high seas and the nurturing and protection of fishery resources are all issues on which Taiwan can make a contribution — instead of remaining a bystander.
In formulating new maritime policies, there are a lot of measures that should be included. We need to adopt an inclusive outlook that finds a balance between land and sea. We should establish a robust and flexible seaborne strike force. We should cultivate marine scientists and train skilled negotiators and actively seek to participate in international maritime affairs. We should see the marine economy as a new economic engine and formulate an overall development policy for marine industries. We should put more resources into protecting the marine environment and map out marine conservation zones to ensure that the marine economy can continue to develop. We will have to manage the sea more effectively and strengthen popular education to foster a seaward outlook and deepen Taiwan’s marine culture.
With these measures in place, Taiwan will be well positioned to meet the challenges of a new oceanic era.
Du Yu is chief executive officer of the Chen-Li Task Force for Agricultural Reform.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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