Aman Saberwal replies: China does have the capability to reclaim land from the sea as has been demonstrated by its actions in the South China Sea. The speed and scale of the reclamation has been watched with trepidation by the world and especially by the neighbouring countries. China has rapidly converted reefs into islands and built ports, airstrips, radar stations and other infrastructure including that of military relevance. This has been done at distances of over 500 nautical miles from mainland China.

Abhijit Singh replies: The ‘nine-dash line’ is a demarcation line used by China to delineate its territorial claims in the South China Sea (SCS). The contested areas include the Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands and various other areas such as the Pratas Islands, the Macclesfield Bank and the Scarborough Shoal.

Sampa Kundu replies: The territorial disputes revolving around the South China Sea came into focus in the 1990s as China began to claim almost the entire South China Sea region on the basis of historical records. China’s claim has since been challenged by smaller Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia. Indonesia too has few issues especially regarding the Nansha Islands.

Sarabjeet Singh Parmar replies: China has been allotted contracts for exploration only in two areas by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for a period of 15 years, and therefore, it cannot form the basis of Chinese assertiveness:

• In the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (Pacific Ocean) till May 21, 2016, for exploration for polymetallic nodules.
• In the South West Indian Ocean Ridge till November 17, 2026, for exploration for polymetallic sulphides.

The assertiveness shown by China in the South China Sea is due to its sovereignty claims on the islands of the Paracel and Spratly group. In the Indian Ocean, China could be viewed as expanding its maritime footprint and presence rather than being assertive.