In the Dragon’s Chokehold: China’s Influence on Malaysian Sovereignty and Security Through the South China Sea

• Název práce v češtině: V zardoušení draka: čínský vliv na suverenity a bezpečnost Malajsie prostřednictvím jihočínského moře
• Název v anglickém jazyce: In the Dragon’s Chokehold: China’s Influence on Malaysian Sovereignty and Security Through the South China Sea
• Klíčová slova: Malajsie, Čína, Jihočínské moře, bezpečnost
• Klíčová slova anglicky: Malaysia, China, South China Sea, security
• Akademický rok vypsání: 2021/2022
• Typ práce: bakalářská práce
• Jazyk práce: angličtina
• Ústav: Katedra politologie (23-KP)
• Vedoucí / školitel: doc. Martin Riegl, Ph.D.
• Řešitel: skrytý - zadáno vedoucím/školitelem
• Datum přihlášení: 03.06.2022
• Datum zadání: 03.06.2022

Zásady pro vypracování

RESEARCH DESIGN
Tensions in the South China Sea are high, with countries continuing to dispute over
territorial ownership while any form of long-term reconciliation seems unfeasible in the near
future. The core of this conflict is the absence of a strong and universal border standard to be
implemented across the region. Although the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS) has introduced the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in 1982, stating that a country’s
maritime border stretches 200 nautical miles off its shoreline, China is adamant on retaining the
use of its archaic nine-dash line rule, prompting backlash from neighbouring countries who view
this as a manipulation tactic to take over their territories and loot existing natural resources. With
the lack of a central authority to put things in order and pursue legal action against parties who
violate international agreements, China has taken this opportunity to bolster its presence in the
South China Sea through various infringement activities.
Considering Malaysia’s current geopolitical ties with China, what actions are being
carried out by the Malaysian government to curb Chinese invasion and influence within
Malaysia’s territorial borders in the South China Sea? Despite perpetual exploitation by China
over the years through both sea and air, Malaysia is wary of jeapordising its diplomatic and
economic ties with the country which is not only the world’s third strongest military (Business
Insider, 2023) but also Malaysia’s biggest trading partner. Thus, the Malaysian government
conducts a neutral approach that will guarantee the country’s economic security while
simultaneously preserving its ties with its Western allies.
The main research objective of this thesis is to examine the actions that are being taken
by Malaysia in its effort to balance itself between its role as China’s ally and beneficiary, as well
as its commitment towards preserving its status as an autonomous state. This research shall
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identify past and current treaties between Malaysia and China, e.g. bilateral agreements, policies
and regulations, which aim to curb the dispute stemming from both countries’ territorial claims
in the South China Sea. From this, the final objective is to investigate and compare how these
treaties have impacted Malaysia’s position in the region, with regards to China’s incessant
retaliation.
In order to answer the research question and conduct the research objectives, this thesis
utilises both qualitative and quantitative methods of research. The qualitative approach involves
conducting surveys and analysing existing data to gauge the effectiveness of Malaysia’s actions
in preserving national sovereignty and security. Meanwhile, a quantitative approach will also be
used to supplement the research by collecting statistical data on Malaysian-Chinese relationship,
e.g. trade values over the years and overall trade restrictiveness index, with the aim of further
understanding the real-life impacts of Malaysia and China’s ties while also making calculated
forecasts on the future geopolitical climate of the South China Sea.

Seznam odborné literatury

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