Troubles brewing in the South China Sea

In August this year US House Speaker Pelosi, despite suggestions from president Biden’ to avoid visiting Taiwan landed in that country.  The visit angered China which saw the visit as a blatant attempt to interfere into China’s internal matters.  

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) -the most populous country in the world, covering a land area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), was founded on 1 October 1949. It’s population, as revealed by ‘macrotrends.net’ stands at 1,452,704,987. Back in 1971 it had a population of 843,285,424.  

Since its founding in 1949, the PRC has been in a diplomatic tug-of-war with a rival government based in the island of Taiwan -the Republic of China (ROC). Taiwan is an island 130 kms off China in the South China Sea.  

Throughout the Cold War period, both governments claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all China.   
While the Soviet Bloc and newly independent countries of Asia and Africa recognized the legitimacy of the People’s Republic of China as being the legitimate ruler of China, the US and its Western allies recognised the ROC operating out of Taiwan as being the lawful government of the Chinese people.  

On 25 October 1971, the United Nations (UN) formally recognised the People’s Republic of China as the legitimate ruler of China, but it was only as late as on 1 January 1979, the US established diplomatic relations with the PRC and recognized it as the sole legitimate government of China.   

There was never therefore, any question t of Taiwan being an independent nation or of Taiwan being a Chinese government in exile. Both regimes claimed to be the rulers of the whole of China.   

The PRC has always claimed Taiwan was a province of China which would one day be unified with the mainland... even if this meant by force of arms. Both the claimants -the Republic of China (ROC) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC)- therefore recognized Taiwan as being a part of China. Neither side claimed Taiwan a separate entity.  

Despite recognising the PRC as being the legitimate government of China, the US has maintained a close and separate relationship with the authorities in Taiwan, providing it with billions in arms. Regimes in the US also continued to engage with Taiwan and support calls for its independence from China.  

The present government in Taiwan has been stridently calling for recognition as an independent country. China meanwhile continues to see Taiwan as a ‘renegade province’ which will one day be part of China even if this meant taking it back by force. It has warned nations against supporting Taiwan’s bid for independence.  

The South China Sea is also home to immense mineral wealth such as titaniferous magnetite, zircon, monazite, tin, gold, and chromite apart from oil and gas.  China’s control of Taiwan would place all of these resources within China’s maritime borders. Additionally Taiwan’s eastern sea board lies on important sea lanes from the Middle east to Japan, Korea as well as sea routes between Japan and Australia.   

Losing these sea lanes to China cuts down US influence in the region. Taiwan falling into China’s lap would also cut the US out of exploiting the oil, gas and other mineral riches in the South China sea bed.  It is for these reasons the PRC is whipping up tension in the region. And, it was into these troubled waters, then US House Speaker Pelosi in August this year, waded into -claiming the island was a self-governing territory, and her visit was to ‘defend democracy’!  

Let’s face it, the US dropped its support of Taiwan and recognised the PRC not on moral grounds, but recognising the reality that the PRC presented a bigger market for US goods and services. Similarly today the US whipping tensions in the South China Sea region, is a ruse to prevent the oil, gas and other mineral riches in the South China sea bed falling under Chinese control.  

Should war break out between China and Taiwan as between Russia and Ukraine the collateral damage, loss of life and infrastructure will be Chinese and Taiwanese.  

The US and its allies in Europe will provide arms and ammunition to create greater mayhem as has happened in Ukraine. No American or European lives will be lost, only Asian lives.  In the eyes of the US and the West, ‘Asian Lives DO NOT MATTER.   We hope cooler heads will prevail and China will not fall to the new face and wiles of US and European machinations.