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Influencing International Relations in the South China Sea Based on the China's Food Policy
Vnouček, Jeroným ; Szobi, Pavel (advisor) ; Hornát, Jan (referee)
The South China Sea region is an important area of international events. In this area, the strained relations between China and the neighboring states sharing the given sea and the United States are reflected. Within the framework of the international political discussion, a great deal of attention is directed, for example, to the issue of Taiwan, mineral deposits and international trade. However, not much attention is paid to the importance of marine fisheries for China's expansionist actions, which is the focus of this work. This thesis deals with the question, "How does China's food security affect international relations in the South China Sea?" Using the approach of neo-Malthusian theory, it is possible to monitor the food demands of the Chinese population in the context of food security affected by a degrading environment. Using analysis and subsequent synthesis, sources and information related to food and international relations are examined. The results of the work indicate that China is food-insufficient in the long term and its protein supply is strongly influenced by protein imports, fishing and fish aquaculture production. However, food and especially fish production is strongly affected by the deteriorating environment. In order to satisfy its needs, China chooses actions that violate...
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Neither Peace Nor War: China's Grey Zone Coercion in the South China Sea
Ha, Thang Nam ; Karmazin, Aleš (advisor) ; Kaczmarski, Marcin (referee) ; Schlotti, Jivanta (referee)
Chinese 'assertiveness' has become a catchphrase in policy and academic discussions regarding the Asia-Pacific security and China's foreign policy more specifically. In the South China Sea, an increase in China's assertive actions to realise its expansionist territorial and maritime claims has led to speculation about the ultimate outbreak of war in the region. This would have tremendous implications for global peace and stability in the long run. A broad reference to 'assertive actions', however, fails to capture the subtlety of actual developments on the ground where China has gradually and ambiguously altered the status quo in the South China Sea at regional actors' policy paralysis. It is, therefore, important to delve beyond the descriptive label and investigate the mechanisms and strategic calculations of China's activities. More research rigour is needed to discern whether these activities belong to a sustained and systemised plan in China's dispute strategy. This dissertation examines China's maritime assertiveness through the lens of grey-zone coercion. It seeks to understand how and why China employs grey-zone coercion to defend and advance its claims in the South China Sea disputes. The questions at stake are manifold: what Chinese grey-zone coercion entails, why it uses grey-zone...
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Assessing Tsai Ying-Wen's strategy in the South China Sea
Gragnani, Lucia ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Romancov, Michael (referee)
Taiwan has been generally considered a moderate player in the South China Sea's tense waters. Despite its low-profile policy, the Republic of China (ROC) has one of the most extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea, in accordance with its 1947 Constitution. The ROC's South China Sea policy is influenced by Cross-Strait relations, which are the main concern of any ROC administration. This thesis investigates Tsai Ying-wen's approach to the South China Sea by examining its interaction with the One China principle and looking at its interplay with the New Southbound Policy. It finds that Tsai Ying-wen's administration has further de-emphasized Taiwan's claims over the area, for both domestic and international reasons. This approach strategically fosters the maintenance of the status quo and paves the way for strengthening ties with Southeast Asian countries and maintaining the United States' support, partially confirming Waltz's neorealist approach.
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South China Sea: Issues of Chinese U-shaped line
Hofmanová, Lucie ; Romancov, Michael (advisor) ; Karmazin, Aleš (referee)
The bachelor thesis "South China Sea: Issues of Chinese U-shaped line "focuses on a Chinese line called the U-shaped line in the South China Sea. The main task of this thesis is to present the differences in understanding of legal issues between the Chinese academics and their foreign colleagues regarding the U-shaped line, the claims of each state in the South China Sea and their distinction from Chinese claims and the consistency of the U-shaped line with international law. For a comprehensive understanding of the presented issues the first part of work concentrates on historical development of this line and the significance of the South China Sea. Legal concepts and treaties relating to the conflict are explained as well. It involves international law, international maritime law, Note verbale, Declaration on the South China Sea, Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, Island of Palmas case and International Court of Justice. The stress is put on the legal aspects and development of this line.
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Geopolitical impact of China's search for energy on the Indian Ocean and South China Sea
Rodd, William ; Hrishabh, Sandilya (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
This thesis examines the geopolitical consequences of China's search for energy resources on the Indian Ocean and South China Sea. It provides a brief outline of the energy situation of the world as a whole, specifically how it is becoming a more globalized and singular market. This change is occurring at the same time as a pronounced shift away from the traditional measurements of 'power' towards 'softer' more subtle definitions. There is a brief section outlining the geopolitical teachings of Alfred T. Mahan, specifically how he advocated seapower primarily for the purpose of providing the stability and security necessary for trade. Chinese analysts have been embracing the teachings of Mahan, but also interpreting them in a way that justifies the naval buildup Beijing has been embarking on in recent years. The paper briefly looks at the potential sources that China could turn to meet its energy needs, but concludes that it will have to rely on oil for the foreseeable future. It then attempts to define overall Chinese interests, specifically how nearly all of these relate somehow to energy security, thus underlining the importance of this topic to leaders in Beijing. The last half of the work delves into a geopolitical analysis of the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, and how militarization in the...
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China's Maritime Lawfare
Straatsma, Wietse ; Střítecký, Vít (advisor) ; Bruner, Tomáš (referee)
Bibliographic note STRAATSMA, Wietse. China's Maritime Lawfare in the South China Sea. Prague, 2018. 83 pages. Master's thesis (Mgr.) Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies. Department of Security Studies. Supervisor PhDr. Vít Střítecký, M.Phil., Ph.D. Abstract The primary aim of this thesis is to examine if and how the People's Republic of China uses legal warfare to strengthen its maritime power in the South China Sea. To examine this, Dunlap's interpretation of lawfare has been combined with a lawfare typology from Kittrie to create a framework from which China's behavior has been examined. The paper posits that China's behavior in and related to the South China Sea meets the criteria of lawfare. China utilizes both instrumental lawfare and compliance-leverage disparity lawfare to justify its legal claims on the South China Sea's maritime sphere and the landforms that lie within it. This lawfare combined with enforcement has led to China gaining substantial maritime power. The islands China occupies and their militarization have granted it marine resources, naval power, and bases to project power from. The thesis contributes to the literature on China's behavior in the South China Sea by providing a lens through which to view its actions. Moreover, it contributes...
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Differences in the resolution of sea territories conflicts in areas with energy resources
Bančanský, Andrej ; Karlas, Jan (advisor) ; Parízek, Michal (referee)
Energy security is an important phenomenon of the contemporary world. A significant number of oil and gas reserves are located on the seabed. Expansion of oil and gas drilling to deeper and from shore more remote locations can again raise the question of ownership of these deposits. On one hand, there are regions of the world where these disputes over borders of maritime territories escalate into a series of clashes and incidents. On the other hand, there are other areas where states can settle their disputes and cooperate on drilling. The goal of this study is to determine which factors lead to the fact that particularly in the South China Sea disagreement about the boundaries of maritime territories results in the escalation of disputes in comparison with the regions of the North Sea and the Caribbean Sea, where disputes are solved or minimized. These factors are represented by six variables, which are based on three theories: a realist, idealist and constructivist theory of international relations. The first part of this study describes the historical development of current international maritime law with regard to the territorial division of the world's oceans. It is followed by a description of three case areas. The second part deals with the theoretical foundations of the examined factors. In...
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South China Sea Hegemony: Does China have the capacity to dominate the South China Sea amidst U.S presence in the region ?
Britto, Aidan ; Raška, Francis (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
In the last decade China has transformed itself into a maritime power. It is well established that the appointment of Xi-Jinping as the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist in 2013 has been effective in rivalling the U.S Pivot to Asia of 2012 concerning the hegemonic dominance of the highly contested South China Sea region. The thesis aims to demonstrate how emerging powers like China are ready to exhibit methods of soft and hard power to liberate contested waters worth billions of unclaimed dollars of hydrocarbon resources beneath its seabed to showcase how an emerging power is ready to challenge an established power for regional hegemony. A combination of both qualitative and quantitative data has been used to examine Chinese power projection in the South China Sea with relation to their actions in terms of modernisation of their naval fleet, hedging of multilateral institutions and artificial constructions in disputed territories. In sum, a theoretical in depth analysis on how control over the South China Sea is crucial to long term Chinese security. .
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Relations between China and selected ASEAN Countries since the Accession of Xi Jinping
Smolák, Dominik ; Karmazin, Aleš (advisor) ; Kuľková, Miroslava (referee)
This work deals with China's foreign policy towards Vietnam and the Philippines in the period from 2013 to 2018. The aim of this work is to understand China's foreign policy, point out its changes over the years and capture possible causes that could lead to policy change towards selected countries. Part of this work is also the introduction to the broader context of mutual relations between selected countries and the introduction to the historical context of development. Special attention is paid to the South China Sea, which is a long-term stumbling block of mutual relations. The secondary goal of this work is to provide an overview of Chinese expansion in the region and how this fact affects foreign relations between selected countries. The researched political processes between the selected countries were analysed and qualitatively evaluated. Subsequently, tables were compiled containing indicators for evaluating the fulfilment of hegemony strategies. Selected cases were inserted into these tables. In these cases, it was demonstrated whether there were hegemonic tendencies. In the case of relations with Vietnam, there are no significant changes, on the contrary, in the case of relations with the Philippines, the change is very significant. Even though the result of this work is this finding, it...
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Can China rise peacefully? The South China Sea Issue
Petreková, Patrícia ; Sehnálková, Jana (advisor) ; Kučerová, Irah (referee)
This diploma thesis deals with the rise of China in the context of its behavior in the South China Sea over the past decade. The significant economic growth of the People's Republic of China over the last few decades is expected to affect not only the regional balance of powers, but also its position within the international system. There is a wide-ranging debate in academia about how China will grow and how it will affect the international community. As a reaction, in order to explain its growth, China has introduced the concept of "peaceful development", according to which its growth should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat to the international community. An offensive realism approach was chosen for this work and the ideas of its main advocate John Mearsheimer will be applied to the specific behavior of China in the region. The role of the United States, which influences China's behavior, will also be discussed. The diploma thesis will further deal with the increased Chinese assertiveness in the area of South China Sea and the means it uses in it to enforce its claims. The basic aim of this work is to underscore the contrast between the declared official policy of China and its actual behavior.
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