Letters | Why South China Sea island claimants won’t be moved by plight of coral reefs any time soon
- The main obstacle to multilateral cooperation on environmental management in the South China Sea and the Spratlys has always been mutual suspicion
- Nationalism is the fundamental driver of national policy in this arena and the primary obstacle to cooperation of any kind
These facts do not excuse what China and others did in recent times. But, if one is advocating acceptance by policymakers of cooperation in environmental protection, it is important to tell a complete and balanced story, rather than single out any one country for blame.
Previous efforts for true multilateral cooperative environmental management in the South China Sea and the Spratlys have been ineffective in reducing pollution, direct environmental damage and overfishing. The main obstacle has always been mutual suspicion generated by the jurisdictional disputes.
Nationalism is the fundamental driver of national policy in this arena. Voluntarily subordinating sovereignty to a greater human good could be used against a nation in future negotiations or arbitration. That is the primary obstacle to agreeing to a sharing or cooperation scheme of any kind for any reason – including for protecting and preserving the environment of the South China Sea.
For the prospective participants in a cooperative environmental management regime, the potential costs outweigh the potential benefits. Until this perception changes, such a regime is unlikely to take root.
Mark J. Valencia, National Institute for South China Sea Studies, Haikou, China