The Role of the Mindoro-Sibutu Pathway on the South China Sea Multi–layer Circulation

AbstractThe role of the Mindoro Strait-Sibutu passage pathway in influencing the Luzon Strait inflow to the South China Sea (SCS) and the SCS multi-layer circulation is investigated with a high-resolution (0.1° × 0.1°) regional ocean model. Significant changes are evident in the SCS upper layer circulation (250-900 m) by closing the Mindoro-Sibutu pathway in sensitivity experiments, as Luzon Strait transport is reduced by 75%, from −4.4 Sv to −1.2 Sv. Because of the vertical coupling between the upper and middle layers, closing the Mindoro-Sibutu pathway also weakens clockwise circulation in the middle layer (900–2150 m), but there is no significant change in the deep layer (below 2150 m). The Mindoro-Sibutu pathway is an important branch of the SCS throughflow into the Indonesian Seas. It is also the gateway for oceanic waves propagating clockwise around the Philippines Archipelago from the western Pacific Ocean into the eastern SCS, projecting El Niño-Southern Oscillation sea level signals to the SCS, impacting its interannual variations and multi-layer circulation. The results provide insights into the dynamics of how upstream and downstream passage throughflows are coupled to affect the general circulation in marginal seas.

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Arguing International Law in the South China Sea Disputes: The Haiyang Shiyou 981 and uss Lassen Incidents and the Philippines v. China Arbitration

The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law ◽

10.1163/15718085-12341396 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 205-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alex G. Oude Elferink

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

International Law ◽

South China ◽

The Philippines ◽

The South China Sea ◽

The South ◽

China Sea ◽

Drilling Rig ◽

Legal Arguments

This article focuses on how international law is argued by the parties to the South China Sea disputes and in what context these legal arguments are presented. To this end, the article analyses three recent issues in the South China Sea: the incident involving the Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig, which operated in a maritime area in dispute between Vietnam and China; the passage of the uss Lassen in the vicinity of Subi Reef, which is occupied by China; and the arbitration between the Philippines and China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The article concludes that looking at what legal arguments are or are not made and in what broader context those arguments are placed can contribute to a better understanding of the role of international law in the South China Sea disputes.

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The Victory of Pluralism: The Role of International Law in The South China Sea Dispute

JURNAL SOSIAL POLITIK ◽

10.22219/sospol.v3i1.4966 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 162

Author(s):

Verdinand Robertua Siahaan

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

International Law ◽

South China ◽

Research Question ◽

The Philippines ◽

The South China Sea ◽

English School ◽

The South ◽

China Sea

AbstractThis research discussed the role of Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision on the dynamic of South China Sea dispute. Court’s decision in July 2016 to regulate South China Sea based on UNCLOS’s regulation has provoked China’s objection. This research question is on how to understand the role of international law in the South China Sea dispute using English School Theory. To answer the research question, this research is using English School Theory with its two pillars namely pluralism and solidarism. This research shows two findings. First, the PCA decision has been used by the Philippines to be momentum for transformation from solidarist mode of foreign policy to pluralist mode. Secondly, the pluralism pillar of English School is more relevant in analyzing the role of international law on South China Sea Dispute.Key words: English School, international law, Permanent Court of Arbitration, pluralism, solidarism, South China Sea AbstrakPenelitian ini membahas peran Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) di dalam resolusi konflik Laut Tiongkok Selatan (LTS). Keputusan PCA yang menggunakan UNCLOS sebagai tata kelola LTS memprovokasi kemarahan Tiongkok. Pertanyaan penelitian ini adalah bagaimana memahami peran hukum internasional dalam konflik Laut Tiongkok Selatan menggunakan teori English School. English School dengan kedua pilarnya pluralisme dan solidarisme menjadi pisau analisis utama untuk menjawab pertanyaan penelitian. Penelitian ini menghasilkan dua kesimpulan. Pertama, keputusan PCA digunakan sebagai Filipina sebagai momentum transformasi kebijakan luar negeri Filipina dari solidarisme menjadi pluralisme. Kedua, pilar pluralisme lebih relevan menjelaskan peran hukum internasional dalam sengketa Laut Tiongkok Selatan.Kata kunci: English School, hukum internasional, Laut Tiongkok Selatan, Permanent Court of Arbitration, pluralisme, solidarisme

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The Victory of Pluralism: The Role of International Law in The South China Sea Dispute

JURNAL SOSIAL POLITIK ◽

10.22219/.v2i2.4168 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 170

Author(s):

Verdinand Robertua Siahaan

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

International Law ◽

South China ◽

Research Question ◽

The Philippines ◽

The South China Sea ◽

English School ◽

The South ◽

China Sea

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Turbulent seas

The US vs China ◽

10.7228/manchester/9781526121998.003.0010 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jude Woodward

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

South China ◽

The Philippines ◽

The South China Sea ◽

The South ◽

China Sea ◽

Us Military ◽

Military Presence ◽

The Us

This chapter discusses the South China Sea island disputes that have become the frontline in the US’s growing confrontation with China in Asia and the justification for a reinforced US military presence in the region. It particularly examines the role of the Philippines. While its neighbours have tried to soothe relations with China and keep on friendly terms with the US, the Philippines has placed itself at the head of a confrontation with China in the South China Sea. Its interventions since 2010, particularly its decision to refer the issues to the Arbitration court at the Hague have played a key role in turning the Sea into a global security hotspot. The chapter argues that it is primarily down to the Philippines that the US has been able to reestablish its presence and become a key actor in the South China Sea, justifying a stepped up US navy presence.

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A Regional Modeling Study of the South China Sea with High Resolution Hydrostatic and Nonhydrostatic Nested Models of the Luzon Strait

10.21236/ada573280 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Patrick C. Gallacher

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

South China Sea ◽

South China ◽

Luzon Strait ◽

The South China Sea ◽

Regional Modeling ◽

The South ◽

Nested Models ◽

China Sea ◽

Modeling Study

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The South China Sea Throughflow Retrieved from Climatological Data*

Journal of Physical Oceanography ◽

10.1175/2008jpo3955.1 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 753-767 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Max Yaremchuk ◽

Julian McCreary ◽

Zuojun Yu ◽

Ryo Furue

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

General Circulation Model ◽

South China ◽

General Circulation ◽

Circulation Model ◽

Ocean General Circulation Model ◽

Luzon Strait ◽

The South China Sea ◽

China Sea ◽

Ocean General Circulation

Abstract The salinity distribution in the South China Sea (SCS) has a pronounced subsurface maximum from 150–220 m throughout the year. This feature can only be maintained by the existence of a mean flow through the SCS, consisting of a net inflow of salty North Pacific tropical water through the Luzon Strait and outflow through the Mindoro, Karimata, and Taiwan Straits. Using an inverse modeling approach, the authors show that the magnitude and space–time variations of the SCS thermohaline structure, particularly for the salinity maximum, allow a quantitative estimate of the SCS throughflow and its distribution among the three outflow straits. Results from the inversion are compared with available observations and output from a 50-yr simulation of a highly resolved ocean general circulation model. The annual-mean Luzon Strait transport is found to be 2.4 ± 0.6 Sv (Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1). This inflow is balanced by the outflows from the Karimata (0.3 ± 0.5 Sv), Mindoro (1.5 ± 0.4), and Taiwan (0.6 ± 0.5 Sv) Straits. Results of the inversion suggest that the Karimata transport tends to be overestimated in numerical models. The Mindoro Strait provides the only passage from the SCS deeper than 100 m, and half of the SCS throughflow (1.2 ± 0.3 Sv) exits the basin below 100 m in the Mindoro Strait, a result that is consistent with a climatological run of a 0.1° global ocean general circulation model.

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The South China Sea Arbitration: Bindingness, Finality, and Compliance with UNCLOS Dispute Settlement Decisions

Asian Journal of International Law ◽

10.1017/s2044251317000121 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 36-50

Author(s):

Hao Duy PHAN ◽

Lan Ngoc NGUYEN

Keyword(s):

South China Sea ◽

South China ◽

Dispute Settlement ◽

The Philippines ◽

The South China Sea ◽

The South ◽

China Sea ◽

Binding Force ◽

State Compliance ◽

Dispute Settlement Mechanisms

AbstractOn 12 July 2016, the Tribunal in theSouth China Seaarbitration issued its final award. China rejected the ruling as “null and void”. The Philippines dismissed it as “a piece of paper” after initially hailing the ruling a “milestone decision”. The reactions of the parties concerned raise important questions about the bindingness, finality, and state compliance with UNCLOS dispute settlement decisions. This paper addresses these questions by dissecting China’s arguments that the award “has no binding force” and by examining the options available for promoting compliance with the award. The paper also considers the broader question of how states generally comply with UNCLOS dispute settlement decisions and evaluates the significance of UNCLOS dispute settlement mechanisms, including theSouth China Seaarbitration, in the absence of external enforcement.

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