A pearl starts it's life as an annoying grain of sand that somehow manages to get insider an oyster's shell. It so irritates the oyster that is tries to dislodge it and over years that grain of sand becomes coated with matter that hardens and gains lustre. Eventually, it becomes an item of great beauty, destined to be a valued gem in a world where jewellery adorns the rich and famous.
In the south China sea, an archipelago of rocky outcrops is providing irritants to a number of adjoining countries. In particular, Japan and China are feuding over islands that Japan calls Senkaku and China calls Diaoyu. Both regard these outcrops as part of their national territory, and both are engaged in a ritual of citizens trying to raise their national flags on the islands as proof of claim.
The danger is that when push comes to shove, the respective navies will become involved. At present, the argument is mainly verbal and tactical, a gathering of support within the United Nations, with private citizens keeping the issue prominent by private landings and flag waving.
To most people, these islands are irrelevant. They can not support residents because they are bare rocks rising out of the sea, without drinking water, soil or even flat land for housing. In fact, neither country has plans to create a permanent residency. The entire striving for recognition of sovereignty is to gain the mineral rights encompassed within the laws of the United Nations.
All countries have a twelve mile nautical zone of exclusive rights surrounding the coastline of national territory, plus a variety of fishing, mineral exploration and air space rights that are catered for by various United Nations charters. This can confer the right of a nation owning a mere speck of rock rising from the sea to a vast surrounding area to explore for oil and minerals. Should a discovery eventuate, it would be within that country's exclusive right to develop - and gain the financial rewards.
No one can be sure whether oil and minerals are present in the South China sea, but exploration technology is ever expanding, and the value of the earth's minerals to economic prosperity is tending to exceed manufacturing. As a result, gaining national sovereignty of even a small speck in a vast ocean is a matter of increasing importance.
This look like bringing the aspirations of Vietnam, The Philippines, China and Japan into collision. Not only does China regard it's old island of Formosa - now called Taiwan - as a renegade prefecture, but Japan also has an issue with Russia over home islands seized at the end of the second world war. There are even claims in China that the Philippines was originally Chinese territory.
It seems certain that ever expanding population growth and the need for more industry in Asia will create pressures that could lead to conflict over conflicting territorial claims. It is ominous that China has stated that the expansion of it's armed forces is required to " win local wars in our area of the world ".
To many, that can only mean using force when peaceful means fail !
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