Scribd
Upload
20 views3 pages

Chong Min - Brunei Research

Uploaded by

chongmin2025
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20 views3 pages

Chong Min - Brunei Research

Uploaded by

chongmin2025
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Delegation : Brunei

1. Contextualisation:

Position
Identify your country’s position on the issue.

“silent” claimant to the South China Sea


-what does “silent claimant” mean?
-Brunei runs a non-confrontational diplomatic stance on the issue.
-their emphasis is on peace more so than direct claim of their
territory in the South China Sea
-much more neutral stance than many other ASEAN countries
like Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia
-balances between the major powers of China and U.S.

National Interests
What are its national interests regarding this topic?
- Claiming its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) borders in the
South China Sea
-goals are mostly focused on ​protecting maritime resources like
fisheries and hydrocarbons, within its claimed EEZ.
-this could be an important step for Brunei to diversify its source
of exports

- includes the Louisa Reef, Owen Shoal, and Rifleman Bank


-rich in hydrocarbons

- keeping good relations with China, ASEAN countries, U.S.


-economic partnerships with China to attract investments, such as
infrastructure projects and joint ventures stand to be important as
Brunei stands in the middle of a near-economic crisis
-the ASEAN unity is important for strength of the southeast asian
countries in the face of China’s attempt to take the entirety of the
South China Sea
-the U.S. have been helpful in Brunei’s defense technologies, the
two countries having made deals for drones

-keeping its economy alive


-this was elaborated previously regarding its domestic economy
and relationship with China

-Wawasan Brunei 2035


-Brunei’s goal - educated, highly skilled and accomplished people
-essentially becoming a developed nation

Concerns
What are its concerns regarding this topic?
-decline of natural oil and gas reserves
-country's strong reliance on oil and gas exports makes it
vulnerable to resource depletion and global market fluctuations
especially in the current time

-they are a significant part of Brunei’s exports


-however the diversification efforts have been slow and are
posing challenges for Brunei’s domestic economy

-regional tensions from China and US forces


-there is rising militarization from China and the U.S. is getting
more involved with its troops
-this means Brunei may get caught up in an unwanted larger
conflict

Alliances
Identify any alliances or historical relationships that influence
its stance
-membership in ASEAN, relatively/significantly weaker stance on
claims compared to other ASEAN countries
-Brunei supports ASEAN’s aim for a Code of Conduct with China

-economic ties with China


- (Hengyi Industries Sdn Bhd and the Sultan Haji Omar Ali
Saifuddin Bridge)
-China is an investor for their economy and development, putting
Brunei in a difficult place

-military defense cooperation with U.S. (drones)


-strengthened maritime surveillance and defense
-part-alliance with U.S.

2. Previous Actions/Policies:
(Identify at least ONE action that your country has taken in the past on this
issue)

-2020 Brunei statement

“negotiations… should be resolved in accordance with the 1982 United Nations


Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the rules and principles of
international law.”

-2023 Brunei statement

“We reaffirm our commitment to the maintenance of peace, stability and security in
the South China Sea.” directly linked

- once again following UNCLOS

-both of these statements shows how Brunei wishes to take a non-confrontational


approach, following international law
-even with tensions rising between countries, Brunei continues to want a peaceful
resolution

-its close relationships with both parties puts Brunei in a tough position to strongly argue
for either side

3. Challenges and Limitations:


(Describe at least ONE challenge or limitation your country may face in
addressing this issue, such as economic constraints, domestic policy, or
international opposition.)

-heavily reliant on natural oil and gas reserves, so they must strengthen their domestic
economy

-but they have been relying partly on China for economic growth through foreign
investments. At the same time, they aim to keep but cannot strongly push for their
claims on the South China Sea.

-balancing act makes it difficult for Brunei to fully align with either power without risking
the benefits of the other.

-complicated neutrality through good relations with both China and U.S. China-trade and
economy, U.S. - defense technologies

-also, Brunei is a relatively small country, with limited influence in the conflict. It is
reasonable for Brunei to rely on the multilateral frameworks rather than pursue a
unilateral approach to the problem.

4. MLA citation

Bama Andika Putra. “Brunei’s Silent Claims in the South China Sea: A Case for the
Theory of Trade Expectations.” Cogent Social Sciences, vol. 10, no. 1, 14 Feb.
2024, https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2317533.
Guo, Rongxing. “South China Sea.” Www.sciencedirect.com, 2018,
www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/south-china-sea.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brunei Darussalam. "Statement on Latest Developments in
the South China Sea." Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brunei Darussalam, 2 Sept.
2023,
www.mfa.gov.bn/Lists/Press%20Room/news.aspx?id=1067&source=https://www
.mfa.gov.bn/site/home.aspx.
Siu, Tzyy Wei. "Caught in the Middle: The Measured Voice of Brunei's Foreign Policy
Amidst the South China Sea Disputes." Pacific Forum, 29 Feb. 2024,
https://pacforum.org/publications/yl-blog-60-caught-in-the-middle-the-measured
-voice-of-bruneis-foreign-policy-amidst-the-south-china-sea-disputes/.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy