Speculation around Xisha tourism should be cleaned up

By Ju Hailong Source:Global Times Published: 2013-4-27 20:08:01

 

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT
Illustration: Liu Rui/GT



The first tourist group sails for the Xisha Islands on Sunday. The tourism plan, which has triggered a wide spectrum of discussion since gestation period, is more than just an economic plan, but inflicted on various political and diplomatic connotations.

It's unavoidable that there are a variety of interpretations of China's intent in launching the Xisha tourism, but the most important thing is that we should make clear of the definition of rights and clarification of facts around the South China Sea issue.

In recent years, discussions over the Xisha Islands among relevant countries including China, the Southeast Asian states and other countries in or outside the region, often provoke a chain of considerations. When referring to Xisha, many will extend the topic to all the islands in the South China Sea and then naturally concentrate on the claims of rights by relevant claimants of islands in the South China Sea.

They talk about China's U-shaped line, the confrontation between China and the Philippines over Huangyan Island, freedom of navigation and norms of behavior in the South China Sea, and China's "aggressiveness" in maritime disputes.

However, when analyzing the international impact of Xisha tourism, we should get rid of sensational stereotypes and clarify some confused geographic concepts.

Strictly speaking, the Xisha Islands are not a part of the South China Sea disputes. So far, Vietnam is the only country to make territorial claims over the waters off China's Xisha Islands, which have been an inherent part of China since ancient times.

As a newly independent country in its modern form after World War II, Vietnam's rights in the South China Sea should be inherited from its colonial state, France. However, France never made claims of sovereignty over Xisha when colonizing Vietnam. The statements of Vietnam that Xisha was the country's Hoang Sa Islands historically have been also proved false by abundant documents.  

When the South Vietnamese government claimed rights over islands in the South China Sea, the North Vietnamese government many times openly supported its then ally China's sovereignty over relevant islands. According to the principles of international law, the Vietnamese government has no right to put up new demands now.

Therefore, China's Xisha tourism has nothing to do with its neighboring countries.  

At a critical moment when both extra-regional powers and countries around the South China Sea covet after interests in the South China Sea, any move by China may cause waves. Those who want to manipulate China's moves to make troubles are not admirers of international law and regional security. They put their self-interests above the overall interests of the region.

The new Chinese leadership has created a grand dream for the country. The Chinese dream includes a dream of safeguarding China's maritime security and building China into a strong maritime power. It also contains China's wishes to cherish peace and cooperation and break out the first island chain. China should harbor strategic insights, rather than being stuck in specific and complex disputes.

The Chinese dream should finally lead us to peace and development. It's not a selfish dream or merely for Chinese, but a dream that could promote global peace and development. It's a complicated project and needs both internal and external support.

The South China Sea is still in dispute, but China's Xisha tourism is sailing off. There are profound strategic considerations behind it. It's not like the trivial tactics employed by countries like Vietnam and the Philippines to advance their interests in the South China Sea, nor is it a violation on regional cooperation and challenge to international rules.

The author is a research fellow of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies at Jinan University based in Guangzhou. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn



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