Sierra Madre | South China Sea

• Context (IE): China has demanded the removal of the Sierra Madre ship. Philippines has rejected it.

About the Sierra Madre

• Sierra Madre was constructed in the US for World War II and commissioned in 1944 as a landing ship.
• Subsequently, it was sent to Vietnam during the US participation in the Vietnam War (1954-75).
• In 1976, it was transferred to the Philippines, an ally of the US.
• In the 1990s, the Philippines decided to bring this ship to the Second Thomas Shoal, a submerged reef located in the South China Sea.
• In 1999, the Sierra Madre was left on the Second Thomas Shoal, which is a part of the mostly uninhabited Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
• The placement of the ship was deliberate in order to further its territorial claims.
• China also has deployed its ships in the vicinity. It has also directed water cannons at supply boats.
• The ship is largely dilapidated and rusting. However, for the Philippines, its removal would risk weakening its claims over the islands and the Chinese presence being established.

Landing Ship is the naval designation for ships supporting amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo and landing troops directly onto a low slope beach with no docks or piers.

Confrontation over the Spratly Islands

• For decades, countries in the region have extended overlapping claims on the South China Sea, claiming ownership over the Spratly Islands and the Paracel Islands.
• Along with issues over sovereignty, the rich oil and gas reserves in the region and its rich fishing waters have also encouraged countries to lay their claims.
• China took effective control of the disputed Scarborough Shoal after a tense standoff in 2012.
• In the Xi Jinping regime, China has assumed a hardened stance, claiming 90% of the South China Sea.
• China also rejected the 2016 International Court of Justice ruling regarding the South China Sea.

US response on the issue

• The US supports the Philippines as an important strategic ally.
• In May 2023, the two countries also agreed on new guidelines for a defence treaty from 1951.
• The guidelines reaffirm the invoking mutual defence commitments under the 1951 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in case of any aggression.

India’s stakes in South China Sea

• Freedom of navigation: The South China Sea is not China’s sea but a global common. India supports freedom of navigation and the rule of law across global commons.
• Sea Lane of Communication: It has been an important sea lane of communication since the very beginning, and passage has been unimpeded over the centuries.
• History of Indian presence: Indians have sailed these waters for well over 1,500 years, and there is ample historical and archaeological proof of a continuous Indian presence from Malaysia to China.
• Trade route: Nearly $200 billion of our trade passes through the South China Sea.
• Essential for regional peace: India shares the stakes in the peace and security of this region, which are essential for our economic well-being.
• Support to Philippines: India has reiterated support for Philippines in upholding its national sovereignty.