The strategic importance of south china sea to international geopolitics

Abstract

The South China Sea, at first glance, seems like any other part of an ocean enclosed by a cluster of Islands and straits and covering a certain area. However, the geostrategic and economic importance associated with the ocean is tremendous and manifold. From busiest maritime trade ways to sea beds full of unlimited resources, this piece of Pacific Ocean is the power beaming with unlimited potential of geostrategic and economic supremacy for anyone having the power to dominate it. It is upon such background that this paper carefully evaluates the strategic importance of the South China Sea. The paper look at the brief history of the South Sea, Natural Resources endowed in the Sea, Territorial Claims among the countries, and the political, economic and military/Defence strategic importance of the Sea. The paper concluded that, the present of natural Resources and the high volume of trade in goods and services transported across the Sea make it an important and most busiest water way in the world, therefore, conflict over it among Asian countries and the world super powers is inevitable. This is because, whoever control the sea, will automatically have a significant influence and control over the world politically, economically andmilitarily.