China builds structures in disputed waters of Yellow Sea and hinders investigation, South Korea protests.

On March 18, the South Korean government lodged a strong protest against the recent unauthorized installation of large structures by the Chinese Communist Party in disputed waters with South Korea, and the obstruction by Chinese maritime police to the investigation. The South Korean public is suspicious whether China is artificially creating a basis for claiming sovereignty.

In recent years, China has repeatedly installed large structures in the “Provisional Measures Zone” (PMZ) of the West Sea (referred to as the Yellow Sea by China) without authorization. However, these installations have been temporarily suspended due to protests from the South Korean government. In December last year, South Korean intelligence captured through reconnaissance satellites that China had installed another large mobile steel structure in the area. The structure is 50 meters wide and over 50 meters high. China claims it is a “fishery auxiliary facility,” and in April and May last year, China had already installed two structures in the same area.

According to sources from the South Korean government, on February 26 at 2:30 pm, the South Korean Marine Science and Technology Institute, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, dispatched the marine survey vessel ONNURI (1422-ton class) to the PMZ to attempt to inspect the unauthorized structures installed by China.

However, when the South Korean survey vessel approached the structures about 1 kilometer away, Chinese maritime police and three rubber boats operated by Chinese individuals in civilian clothing came near to the survey vessel to obstruct the investigation. In response, South Korea urgently dispatched patrol boats, and a standoff ensued with Chinese maritime police on-site for about 2 hours.

During the standoff, the Chinese side demanded the South Korean vessel to retreat, claiming the facilities were “aquaculture farms,” while the South Korean side stated they were carrying out a “legitimate” investigation. Though the Chinese civilians present had tools in hand, they did not brandish any weapons.

The PMZ in the West Sea between South Korea and China is an area of overlapping claims, with both countries having sovereignty disputes. According to the agreement signed between China and South Korea in 2001, besides fishing activities, the installation of structures and other actions like resource development are prohibited.

On March 18, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with relevant personnel from the Chinese Embassy in South Korea to express a strong protest. The ministry officials stated that “to prevent South Korea’s legitimate and legal maritime rights in the West Sea from being affected, we are actively responding at the pan-government level.”

Not only has China installed structures in contested waters, but Chinese warships have also been frequently entering and leaving areas under South Korea’s jurisdiction in the West Sea. According to a report by the South Korean Ministry of National Defense in 2020 titled “The Main Activities of Foreign Warships Near the Korean Peninsula in the Past 5 Years,” the number of Chinese warships crossing the EEZ and the temporary equidistant line near the Korean Peninsula exceeded 900 times between 2016 and 2020, especially after South Korea deployed the “THAAD” system in 2017.

South Korea and China have yet to establish maritime warning lines in the West Sea (Yellow Sea). In 2013, China unilaterally set the meridian 124 degrees east as the maritime boundary line between the two countries, demanding that the South Korean Navy not cross that line, a demand rejected by the South Korean military. If the meridian 124 degrees east is considered the boundary, over 70% of the West Sea would fall within China’s jurisdiction, a situation the South Korean government cannot accept.

In addition to the West Sea, China has also taken measures to install structures in the disputed waters of the South China Sea. After building seven artificial islands on seven disputed reefs in the South China Sea, China declared them as “Chinese territorial waters.” Such behavior by China has become a flashpoint for sovereignty disputes with other countries.

Military commentator Shan Xiaoluo told Da Ji Yuan that the PMZ claimed by both South Korea and China is an overlapping area, and South Korea naturally has control and jurisdiction. If the structures are for fishery purposes, there would be no need to block South Korea’s inspection since it aligns with the agreed conditions. Obstructing inspections indicates foul play.

He suggested that the South Korean government should continue to show a firm stance, defend its rights with reason, and seek a permanent solution. For example, both sides could refrain from constructing permanent structures or improve supervision mechanisms in the area. “Don’t wait until the situation escalates beyond control. In fact, disputes arising from China’s expansionist policies are inevitable. Weakness will only encourage China to advance further, only through strength can China be deterred.”

On the 19th, the South Korean newspaper “Chosun Ilbo” published an editorial condemning the Chinese behavior as “completely disregarding international law.”

The editorial pointed out that South Korea and China have yet to determine the West Sea warning line, and besides the unauthorized installation of structures in the provisional measures zone, China has set up large buoys. In case of negotiations on the warning line, China apparently intends to use these structures as a basis to claim the related waters as “Chinese waters,” advancing its “West Sea Project” to turn the West Sea into its internal sea.

The editorial emphasized that establishing maritime border lines along coastal areas is an international norm and common sense, but China, citing its landmass and population size, unreasonably insists on occupying more of the West Sea. Currently, Chinese patrol vessels are still active near Baengnyeong Island in the waters at 124 degrees east, threatening the South Korean Navy not to cross that line.

The editorial urged that to safeguard sovereignty, structures of similar scale to China should be installed in the provisional water areas closer to China.