Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress Page: 63 of 92
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Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China
occupied sites in the SCS, and conducting freedom of navigation operations in
the SCS jointly with navy ships of U.S. allies;
" further strengthening U.S. security cooperation with allied and partner countries
in the region, and with India, to the point of creating a coalition for balancing
China's assertiveness;33 and
" taking additional actions to impose costs on China for its actions in its near-seas
region, such as disinviting China to the 2016 RIMPAC (Rim of the Pacific)
exercise, a U.S.-led multilateral naval exercise that takes place every two years,
and/or inviting Taiwan to participate in the exercise.
Risk of United States Being Drawn into a Crisis or Conflict
Another potential issue for Congress is whether the United States has taken adequate actions to
reduce the risk that the United States might be drawn into a crisis or conflict over a territorial
dispute involving China. Potential oversight questions for Congress include the following:
" Have U.S. officials taken appropriate and sufficient steps to help reduce the risk
of maritime territorial disputes in the SCS and ECS escalating into conflicts?
" Do the United States and Japan have a common understanding of potential U.S.
actions under Article IV of the U.S.-Japan Treaty on Mutual Cooperation and
Security (see Appendix B) in the event of a crisis or conflict over the Senkaku
Islands? What steps has the United States taken to ensure that the two countries
share a common understanding?
" Do the United States and the Philippines have a common understanding of how
the 1951 U.S.-Philippines mutual defense treaty applies to maritime territories in
the SCS that are claimed by both China and the Philippines, and of potential U.S.
actions under Article IV of the treaty (see Appendix B) in the event of a crisis or
conflict over the territories? What steps has the United States taken to ensure that
the two countries share a common understanding?
" Aside from public statements, what has the United States communicated to China
regarding potential U.S. actions under the two treaties in connection with
maritime territorial disputes in the SCS and ECS?
" Has the United States correctly balanced ambiguity and explicitness in its
communications to various parties regarding potential U.S. actions under the two
defense treaties?
" How do the two treaties affect the behavior of Japan, the Philippines, and China
in managing their territorial disputes? To what extent, for example, would they
help Japan or the Philippines resist potential Chinese attempts to resolve the
disputes through intimidation, or, alternatively, encourage risk-taking or
brinksmanship behavior by Japan or the Philippines in their dealings with China
133 An August 2015 press report states that "The Philippines defense chief said he asked the visiting U.S. Pacific
commander on Wednesday [August 26] to help protect the transport of fresh Filipino troops and supplies to Philippine-
occupied reefs in the disputed South China Sea by deploying American patrol planes to discourage Chinese moves to
block the resupply missions." (Jim Gomez, "Philippines Seeks U.S. Help to Protect Troops in Disputed Sea," Military
Times, August 2 6, 2015. See also Agence France-Presse, "Spokesman: US, Philippines Hold Talks On Boosting
Military Capacity," Defense News, August 26, 2015; Manuel Mogato, "Philippines Seeks 'Real-Time' U.S. Help in
Disputed South China Sea," Reuters, August 27, 2015.Congressional Research Service
58
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O'Rourke, Ronald. Maritime Territorial and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Disputes Involving China: Issues for Congress, report, August 17, 2017; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1020870/m1/63/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.