wretchardthecat

The Philippines and China are in a grey area conflict over the Spratley Islands. What few media outlets discuss is why the US (which backs the Philippines) and China should be interested in this unique seafloor. This thread explores this issue.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3308187/china-and-philippines-clash-over-disputed-sandy-cay-spratly-islands

The short answer is that the Spratleys are both a navigational gateway to naval transit of the South China Sea  and a listening post from which a Power can exercise informational control over these waters. Between the wars rival powers strove to map it.

https://amti.csis.org/spratlys-geopolitics-secret-maritime-sea-lanes/

"The maritime space of the Dangerous Ground is structured by internal sea-lanes, with two main axes (north-south and east-west). The [point of controlling the Spratleys followed]  the logic of control of these internal sea-lanes."

Outposts in the Spratleys allow the occupier to exercise overwatch over these internal sea lanes or secret passages the way eyeholes cut in haunted house portraits allow the surveillance of guests. China plans on doing the watching.

https://warontherocks.com/2020/03/beyond-conventional-wisdom-evaluating-the-plas-south-china-sea-bases-in-operational-context/

"Imagine entering a dark room. ... For you, there are only a few ways in … or out. You may believe that you have the edge in technology and training. ... But in the confines of the room ... your foe watches and waits, preparing to pick off your team one-by-one "

On the surface the legal and operational struggle to control the Spratleys takes the form of these farcical encounters between China and its Southeast Asian neighbors but in the deeps it is a serious battle for naval and maritime advantage.