hina has given no official explanation for its precise delineation. (Representation)
Washington:
Beijing has not only attempted to change the facts on the ground in the South China Sea, but is also seeking to gradually change the world‘s mind about its claims in the region, a Washington-based think tank said.
Nguyen Thuy Anh, who is a researcher at the Oriental Sea Institute of the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy, said in a report published in Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative that the nine-dash line is a representation of China’s broad claims in the South China Sea. The line itself is a collection of arbitrary dashes or points without specific coordinates. China has given no official explanation for its precise delineation or legal origin.
“China’s claim has been openly rejected by Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United States, and has been criticized by many international academics. More importantly, the claim regarding the historic waters inside the line was dismissed by the South China’s arbitration award. Sea Tribunal in July 2016. But China ignored the ruling and insisted on claiming the nine-dash line, ”Anh said in the report.
According to the report, China aims to create “a narrative in popular consciousness” that the nine-dash line is part of China’s administrative territory. In pursuit of this goal, China is using all possible means to promote the visibility of the nine-dash line, displaying it on passports, maps, exported globes, movies, books, online games. , clothing, travel brochures, brochures, TV shows, and more.
In October 2019, a nine-dash card was visible in “Abominable,” a family-friendly animated film produced jointly by Pearl Studio and America’s DreamWorks Animation.
In 2018, a group of Chinese tourists wearing T-shirts with a nine-dash line art arrived in Vietnam. Earlier in 2015, Chinese observers unveiled Google Maps images highlighting the nine-dash line.
Prior to 2009, the nine-dash line rarely appeared in scientific papers. However, the number of items illustrated with the line has increased drastically and steadily since 2010.
A similar trend continues in 2020, spanning a wide range of scientific disciplines including climate change, hydrography, archeology, agriculture, bioenergy, environment, waste management and public health, according to The report.
The insertion of the nine-dash line in scientific prints is not accidental. The majority of articles with the nine-dash line appear to have been authored or co-authored by Chinese academics, he added.
“Most of the articles presented the research results of projects funded by Chinese government agencies. And Chinese academics themselves are unable to explain the relationship between the nine-line illustrations and the arguments of the articles,” he said. said Anh.
When asked, a Chinese author admitted that the insertion of the nine-dash line was a requirement of the Chinese government, she added.
One of the reasons why these irrelevant numbers have been so dignified for China may be that it has used its market power to force publishers, educational institutions and think tanks to censor themselves. and adapt to Beijing’s publication rules. The Asian giant also succeeded in forcing publishers to remove content that it considered harmful to Chinese interests.
While having no impact on the legal nature of the claim, the widespread publication of these maps could raise misperceptions among scientists, researchers or students who are readers of these journals but are not familiar with the matter, according to the report.
“More dangerously, at some point, policymakers in Beijing may confuse these publications as a form of popular recognition of their flawed claim. Such a misconception could lead to a serious miscalculation,” Anh added.
