Ad
The People's Republic of China claims the whole sea area, based on so-called historic rights on a map from 1947 (Photo: Lindsey Burrows)

The South China Sea should be of concern to Europe

Recently, several Chinese coastguard vessels blocked Philippine supply ships en route to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The French and German ambassadors to the Philippines did issue Twitter-protests. More should be done. What is at stake is the future of maritime multilateralism.

Unfortunately, right now the South China Sea maritime disputes are perceived by most Europeans as either (too) far away or as part of a complicated power game between China and the US which i...

Get EU news that matters

Back our independent journalism by becoming a supporting member

Already a member? Login here

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Jonas Parello-Plesner is executive director of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in Copenhagen, and senior non-resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington DC, and has been sailing through the South China Sea with a naval mission.

The People's Republic of China claims the whole sea area, based on so-called historic rights on a map from 1947 (Photo: Lindsey Burrows)

Tags

Author Bio

Jonas Parello-Plesner is executive director of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation in Copenhagen, and senior non-resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington DC, and has been sailing through the South China Sea with a naval mission.

Ad

Related articles

Ad