Artificial islands in the South China Sea under the Sea Convention and State Responsability

Abstract

China's actions regarding the construction of artificial islands have succeeded in raising the tension in the region; The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has shown its dissatisfaction with the situation by stating that China has used degraded ships and construction equipment to transform coral reefs into bases with military ports (Hayton, 2015). Being an area with international relevance, the consequences of China's actions could have repercussions on international competitiveness with strong economic and political tensions also due to disputes over the limits of jurisdiction of each of the States around the South Sea.