Beijing’s Political and Legal ‘Warfare’ to Deny Littoral Access: Foreign Military Activities in China’s Exclusive Economic Zone

Abstract

As naval forces are employed to project power ashore, virtually all contemporary naval operations are conducted in the littoral regions, but many coastal states have embarked on a legal and political campaign to deny foreign warships access to their coastal areas. The Chinese conducted bold and dangerous maneuvers against the USNS Impeccable, a US Navy military survey vessel, which was operating in about 120km from the island of Hainan in the South China Sea. China is the most powerful and vociferous voice for upsetting traditional notions of freedom of navigation and overflight in order to deny access to its coastal zone by foreign warships and aircraft.

Keywords: China, naval, SCS, South China Sea, Cow Tongue, EEZ, Law of the Sea, UNCLOS, dispute, Southeast