Name? Wang Yi
Westphalian identity? Chinese
Age? 72
Why is he in the news? At last week’s ASEAN meeting, the Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi, warned the Filipino Foreign Minister of “bitter consequences” should the Philippines cross China’s nine-dash line. A day later, a confrontation between the Chinese Coast Guard and two ships of the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources occurred near Scarborough Shoal, which both states claim. The Filipino boats were reportedly delivering supplies to fishermen in the area.
Why do we care? The South China Sea has been a point of contention between China and five other neighbouring countries for years as China’s claimed maritime borders cross those set by international conventions. The Philippines has been one of the most vocal states against China’s nine-dash line, filing and winning a 2016 tribunal case against China. This latest exchange shows that the dispute remains contentious, with Wang describing Chinese-Filipino relations as being “at a crossroads.”
Why should you care? While the South China Sea dispute has not resulted in any direct fatalities yet, over $5 trillion worth of trade passes through the area annually. The sea is also integral to local fish supplies and is estimated to house trillions in unused oil and gas reserves. A hot conflict in the area would therefore be devastating to the global economy and regional food supply.
Who else cares? Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke days later at the ASEAN meeting, stating Canberra is “concerned about some of the destabilising conduct” occurring in the South China Sea. She also reiterated that the planned Code of Conduct for the region needs to follow UNCLOS regulations. Wang found Wong’s speech at the meeting to be “exaggerating tensions” and claimed Australia was “inciting confrontation.”
Any further comments? The latest clash comes a few weeks after a racist video depicting Filipinos as monkeys was published by Chinese state media, further worsening relations.
