Historians in China need to play a dual role. Not only do they contribute to the advancement of knowledge, but they also need to actively defend their country’s national interests in the South China Sea. According to a report by the South China Morning Post, Chinese scholars gathered at the end of June were urged to “give a forceful response to false narratives” to strengthen their nation’s claims in the South China Sea.
At the seminar held in Hainan Province, China, Wu Shicun, founder of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, emphasised the critical importance of “narrative construction and discourse building” for China. He said that the strategy would effectively defend the nation’s rights and interests in the South China Sea.
Many Chinese strategies have focused significant attention on the South China Sea conflict.
China asserts its claim to more than three million square kilometres of the Sea through the “nine-dash line” concept – contrary to international law. History has become a battleground in the dispute waters. Beijing has sought to draw upon the Western Han dynasty (200BCE to 9CE) to illustrate that China has historically fished in the waters for thousands of years. Yet a 2016 international tribunal decision on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea did not concur, concluding that there was no legal basis for China’s historic rights claim.
At the June seminar, Wu Shicun encouraged the 100 historians and numerous legal experts in attendance to help China defend its “rights and interests” in the legal field of the South China Sea. The aim was to rebut the 2016 arbitration ruling invalidating China’s claims to most of the South China Sea, including contested areas in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone and areas claimed by Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Wu was reported to have said that the international academic community had developed “some strange theories that deliberately distort the history of the South China Sea and maliciously smear China’s rights and claims”. He urged the audience to restore the “correct” historical and legal background.
As a consequence, it seems likely we will witness a form of history warfare as part of China’s new propaganda to boost its South China Sea claim, drawing on documents, maps, and records that purportedly portray China’s long-standing rights. It could also help China galvanise domestic support.
The gathering of Chinese historians in June, with the express intention of crafting narratives around China's ownership of the South China Sea, should not be underestimated.
Many studies have indicated that governments have the ability to influence public opinion by directing citizens’ attitudes towards history. Political scientists Yiqing Xu and Jiannan Zhao found that the historical narrative of China’s humiliation in the past has contributed to its society’s scepticism towards foreign governments and support for China’s aggressive foreign policies. This illustrates the powerful effect of propaganda in Chinese society.
Propaganda based on China’s history may also be directed at individuals who are not Chinese citizens. It is reasonable to anticipate that China’s interpretation of the South China Sea history will be taught in mainland China’s universities, where international students are pursuing their degrees. China may also choose to communicate this interpretation to the international community through public diplomacy channels that it has established globally.
Add to this China’s active construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea, and the claim becomes magnified. According to Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative data, China has established 3,200 acres of new land in the South China Sea since 2013. A scenario can be imagined where in the next ten years China claims historical rights to the territory because it has developed the region’s geography, habitats and facilities.
The gathering of Chinese historians in June, with urging to craft narratives around China's ownership of the South China Sea, should not be underestimated. It is crucial to consider the potential outcomes of China’s proposed strategy.
