The world knows about the Great Wall of China, ever vigil standing tall to protect the borders of ancient long-gone Chinese states. Fast-forward to the year 2015, and the modern world looks East towards China’s direction once more. In the South China Sea, a second great wall is in construction. Countries around the world watch warily as China expands its territorial reach with an imposing wall of sand.
What started a year before as China’s decision to relocate oil rig HD-981 into the Paracel Island snowballed into the ongoing disputes along the claimed territorial waters of Vietnam. The initial spark which ignited the tense disputes occurred when a confrontation between Vietnam and China caused a collision between ships resulting in the sinking of a fishing boat and the deaths of 20 people.
Moving forward to 2014, China began construction on its second great wall of sand. Located in the heavily disputed Spratly Islands, China continued to ruffle the feathers of the Indonesian, Malaysian, Philippine, and Vietnamese governments. Although it is not uncommon for China to have a slew of disagreements amongst its neighbouring countries regarding territorial waters, its bold move to create a man-made island and wall have caught the attention of the world.
China’s sand wall and island construction project is by no means low-key or insignificant. In total five structures have been built among the Spratly islands, with two more in progress. The latest man-made island is a colossal four square kilometers spanning over coral reefs. The project has been criticized as being extremely damaging to the ecosystem, causing both pollution on the neighbouring Spratly islands and directly into the disputed waters. China is creating the islands by destructive means, resulting in the loss of coral reefs. Using dredging vessels, it has dug up tonnes of sea sediments which are subsequently dumped on the surrounding coral reefs. The reefs are then covered in cement and landfill to make up the base of the man-made islands.
The project which many have called an aggressive land-reclamation attempt have earned the ire of its neighbours and raised concern amongst world leaders. Many countries bordering the Spratly Islands have raised concern above the strategic positioning of the Spratly Islands, claiming the potential for China to build off-shore military sites. In the recent statement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): “[China’s man-made islands] may undermine peace, security and stability”.
Even amidst the heavy criticism and environmental consequences, China has remained steadfast with their second great wall.
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