China Claims 90% of Spratly Islands, Actually Controls 13%: India flexing muscle at China?

India Defense Minister A.K. Antony launches the INS Chakra

India launches first nuclear sub as tensions grumble on over Spratly Islands

Monday, April 9, 2012
By 2point6billion.com

Apr. 9, 2012 – China suffered a blow at the recent ASEAN meetings in Phnom Penh, losing a motion not to have South China Sea disputes discussed during the summit. China is not a member of ASEAN, but has been granted observer status and the request to interfere with the ASEAN agenda did not seem to sit well with the 10 countries that make up the Southeast Asian bloc. In particular, four ASEAN countries – Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines – are directly engaged in disagreements with China over ownership of the Spratly Islands.

China has long held a view that the South China Sea is Chinese, and that disputes should only be settled with Beijing directly on a bilateral basis. ASEAN, however, provides a multilateral forum and a bloc that allows disputes to be discussed collectively. Much of the debate focuses on the Vietnamese government’s decision to allow a joint venture between an Indian oil drilling company in blocks controlled by Vietnam. China has criticized the move, suggesting that significant “economic and political risks” await both Vietnam and India should exploration commence.

“China will not dilute its claims over the disputed islands…because nationalism strongly prevails in China,” commented Wu Shicun, president of the state-funded National Institute of South China Sea Studies.

Of the islands and sandbars themselves, China only actually controls a small percentage. The 52 Spratly Islands plus smaller territories are currently controlled by Vietnam (40), the Philippines (9), China (7), Malaysia (5) and Taiwan (1).

In related news, India launched its first nuclear powered submarine last week, the INS Chakra, joining an elite club made up of the United States, Russia, Great Britain, France and China with such technologies. India expects to be operating a fleet of five such submarines by 2020. The INS Chakra is weaponized and will undertake surveillance and deterrence operations off the Indian coast.

“As peace and stability in the region are crucial to peace in the world at large, it is imperative that the Indian Navy maintains a strong and credible naval presence in the region,” Defence Minister A. K. Antony said while speaking at the induction ceremony.