States in the South China Sea Seek Mutual Support to Rebuff China

By Lexi Dean

China continues to assert control over the South China Sea where around one-third of
global shipping occurs. Amidst growing Chinese aggression in regional countries’
exclusive economic zones, Indo-Pacific countries continue to step up efforts to combat
this. This past week, Taiwan’s coast guard detained a Chinese-linked ship after it
stopped near an undersea communication cable that was disconnected. The vessel,
possibly responsible for severing the undersea cable, is registered to Togo but crewed
and financed by China. The undersea cable allowed Taiwan to connect to the Penghu
Islands, and the communications were quickly rerouted. Investigators have not
confirmed if the vessel was the cause of an accidental or deliberate cable damage, but
there have been more cable malfunctions near Taiwan this year than in 2023 or 2024.
Commonly, commercial ships will drag anchors which may damage undersea cables
which are crucial for connecting to the rest of the world. For Taiwan, this incident,
whether accidental or deliberate, encouraged them to step up monitoring efforts,
especially in this grey zone where China continues to assert control. Internationally,
these acts have prompted theories and sparked suspicions that China, and possibly
Russia, may be utilizing cable sabotage as a form of indirect harassment near Taiwan
and in the Baltic Sea.

Just a couple days after the severed undersea cable incident, Taiwan condemned China
for conducting military exercises near the island in a Chinese-designated area for
shooting drills. Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reported 34 aircraft or vessels crossing into
Taiwanese-claimed airspace or waters within a 24-hour period. China continues to exert
itself as a threat in the Indo-Pacific region, leading other countries to act this week.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto
Teodoro, Jr met this week to establish a strategic dialogue and framework that will boost
regional security measures to combat the growing assertiveness. The countries will
enhance cooperation regarding equipment and defense technology to oppose China’s
attempts at disrupting international order.