Chinese Whispers: Investigating China's 'historic' claims in the South China Sea
Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
4.4 • 785 Ratings
🗓️ 2 September 2024
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The region is full of disputed claims, making it fertile waters for accidental escalation. China says its claims to the region – encompassed by the ‘nine-dash line’ – are historic; that island sets such as the Spratlys and the Paracels in the South China Sea are as integral to the Chinese empire as Hong Kong or Taiwan. How sound is that claim?
This episode will be digging into the origins of the nine-dash line (roughly pictured here) – and finds them not so much in ancient imperial days. The chaotic formation of China’s claims in the South China Sea is researched and detailed in Bill Hayton’s book, The Invention of China.
To hear more about Bill's book, tune in to our previous episode: What is it to be Chinese?
Transcript
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| 0:35.1 | Hello and welcome to Chinese Whispers with me, Cindy Yu. Every episode I'll be talking to journalists, |
| 0:40.7 | experts and long-time China watchers about the latest in Chinese politics, society and more. |
| 0:46.4 | There'll be a smattering of history to catch you up on the background knowledge and some context as well. |
| 0:51.1 | How do the Chinese see these issues? |
| 0:56.5 | The South China Sea has been an area of regular clashes and heightened tensions, especially under the leadership of Xi Jinping. |
| 1:02.0 | It seems that every few months, Chinese naval or Coast Guard ships clash or almost clash |
| 1:06.7 | with vessels from Southeast Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines. |
| 1:15.4 | Only last week, a Chinese ship clashed with the Filipino Coast Guard in the Spratley Islands, |
| 1:18.7 | with both sides levelling angry accusations at each other. |
| 1:23.8 | The area is full of disputed claims, making it fertile waters for accidental escalation. |
| 1:28.8 | China says its claims to the region, encompassed by the so-called 9-dash line, are historic. The island sets such as the Spratleys and the Paracels in the South China Sea are as |
| 1:33.9 | integral to the Chinese Empire historically as Hong Kong or Taiwan have been. But how sound is that |
| 1:40.1 | claim? This episode will be digging into the origins of the nine dash line and finds them |
| 1:44.6 | not so much in ancient imperial days. The chaotic formation of China's claims in the South China |
| 1:49.8 | Sea is researched and detailed in Bill Hayton's book, The Invention of China. Chinese |
| 1:55.0 | whispered listeners may remember him from when he came on to talk about the book more fully |
| 1:58.4 | a few years ago. Bill is an Asian expert holding |
| 2:01.7 | the role of Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and I'm delighted that he joins me now. Bill, welcome to |
... |
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