Above the U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter is an internal passage in Alaska.
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China’s global research agenda has some terrible discoveries. This week, the U.S. Coast Guard drove away Chinese research vessels operating near Alaska. The Philippines is currently tracking three Chinese research vessels within its exclusive economic region. China is also strengthening its research globally, leading to conflicts with South Korea and other states. Although China claims that these research activities have benign and scientific purposes, the behavior of these ships implies something else. China’s use of these ships also demonstrates China’s legal warfare – its use and abuse of international law to achieve military and strategic goals.
From Australia to Alaska, Chinese-signed vessels are collecting ocean data on an unprecedented scale. Over the past four years, 64 civil survey ships have been operated by 64 civil survey ships for hundreds of thousands of hours. 80% of these ships are linked to China’s military or geopolitical agenda. Japan, India, Taiwan, Australia, etc. also reported a large collection of marine data from Chinese vessels and Chinese ships in the past few years.
Whether all this activity is illegal is considered China’s potential military intentions. China can easily direct civilian research for military purposes. In 2020, Australia expressed concern that Chinese ships, while operating legally, were mapping areas that Australian submarines often used to enter the South China Sea. India expressed concern that China has been using unmanaged underwater vehicles to collect data on potential military uses. The civilian research vessels were accompanied by the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese Navy to further question their peaceful purposes. Some research vessels carry exquisite manned submersibles, advanced sonars to scan the sea floor and buoys to study marine conditions. Some ships have reportedly deployed marine drones and glide underwater. China’s data collection near Taiwan has increased, potentially seeking intelligence that helps navigate and locate in combat.
China and South Korea confrontation in the Yellow Sea
In February, Chinese and South Korean ships were at a stalemate when Chinese research activities blocked part of the Yellow Sea. China has recently expanded aquaculture facilities in areas with temporary measures between China and South Korea. The unit includes a retired offshore oil rig and two large octagonal steel cages, one of which is 2024. PMZ was created by both countries in 2001 to manage their overlapping EEZ claims in the narrow sea. The agreement allows fishing in both states, but does not mention aquaculture, allowing China to operate its structure in a legal gray area.
South Korea expressed concerns about the dual use of the facility. Satellite images show that offshore oil platforms have functions other than aquaculture. South Korean analysts expressed concerns about China’s activities in the South China Sea, with China’s research platforms and oil rigs eventually turning into artificial islands and illegal maritime claims.
During a two-hour standoff in February, a South Korean marine survey ship attempted to inspect the device and was blocked by Chinese Coast Guard and civilian ships. China soon expanded its claims elsewhere in the Yellow Sea. In May, a regional branch of the China Maritime Security Administration announced a “sailless zone” that prohibits ships from entering the South Yellow Sea area. China has established two areas for military exercises in both the PMZ and the region overlapping with the South Korean EEZ.
The United States hunts down Chinese-signature research vessel near Alaska this week
China has also been found to conduct research in American waters. Last year, China conducted an extensive and extensive investigation near Guam. The study may be used for mineral exploration, but ship routes suggest that China is seeking to better navigate the region with submarines. On July 26, the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a Chinese research vessel in Arctic waters near Alaska and claimed the U.S. exclusive rights to manage resources in its extended continental shelf.
China’s reaction to the US chasing on a research ship near Alaska is revealing. In 2023, the United States articulated its claims on the extended continental shelf, including overlap with the Russian and Canadian Arctic claims. The United States’ claim is based on recognized customary international law. China bombed the United States as international labor when the U.S. Coast Guard responded to a Chinese research vessel near Alaska. Global Age is the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, and reports that the United States “promoted the ‘China threat’ remarks only to justify evil behavior in the US Arctic, which shows that it is a rule violation and a global trouble.
The view of international law on China’s maritime research and data collection
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ocean data collection must be used for peaceful purposes. Coastal countries must allow foreign countries to conduct marine scientific research or explore their exploration of natural resources in the EEZ or continental shelf. Not all states in the United States agree that US military investigation operations and operational oceanography (regular ocean observations) do not require the consent of coastal countries.
The Chinese ships discussed above are only civilian ships and international law will prohibit them from conducting military investigations. Many, if not most, behave differently from operating oceanography and falls into the category that requires permission from coastal states. Some of these Chinese vessels’ activities, including vessels around oil and gas exploration areas, mean that coastal countries require commercial purposes for granting research licenses. China has repeatedly used scientific research vessels, especially those with military capabilities, which suggests that its vessels are being used to push its excessive maritime claims, rather than for peaceful purposes. China usually blurs the difference between civilians and military vehicles, thus eroding the core principles of the law of war.
How to protect maritime rights from China’s “research”
The United States and its allies must work together to demand their maritime rights to China. The United States and its allies should share information about China’s maritime data collection to determine the methods and purposes of these activities. They should carefully examine each ship involved and determine whether the type of activity in China violates international law. The United States and its allies and partners should cooperate in law enforcement where possible. And if China is mapping potential conflicts in Taiwan or the region, the United States and its allies must share intelligence and figure out how to stop them.
The United States and its allies should also expose China’s violations of international law. As this week’s Global Era The article shows that China has regrettably committed a violation of the law. The United States and its allies should use it against China without hesitation and loudly, proudly defend the international system based on rules. The United States and its allies must demand compliance with international law in words and actions. If we do not use maritime rights, we will throw them to China and its narrative of competition against us
