Asean must rethink its airspace security as new surveillance tools appear

SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Agencies): Recent high profile airspace intrusions involving China-launched balloons finding their way over the continental US is likely to raise tensions among members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), especially those with competing claims over the South China Sea (SCS), according to an analyst.

The presence of balloons launched by foreign countries in the airspace of Asean member states presents serious security challenges as a lack of action could result not only the violation of territorial and security interests of these states but also in bolder territorial violations, Collins Chong Yew Keat a foreign affairs analyst with University of Malaya said.

“This was meant to send a strong signal to the rest of the world that China now possesses almost limitless capacity to test and challenge the readiness and resilience of almost all nations on earth, and that it can get away with it easily with no clear repercussions,” he said.

“Should unidentified balloons appear in Asean airspace, most of these countries will find themselves in a hard place. Not taking action might result in drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) being sent into our skies,” he warned.

Chong said that Asean states are already nervous over tensions in the SCS and the balloons pose yet another pressure point, with member states having few options available as China gathers valuable intelligence and data, leaving them at a disadvantage.

He also said development on balloons signal an acceleration of a wider trend with regional players are “sitting ducks”, especially in the sphere of aerospace military and space power projections, in the platforms of hypersonic missiles and spy satellites.

“Beijing has an almost unrivalled grip on key strategic information on crucial frontline states, in serving the ultimate goals for both the SCS, Taiwan and its confrontation with the US,” he said.

Considering the lack of most Asean states to present a credible deterrent against such intrusions, Chong suggested that these states make moves to enhance their security and defense relationships with other major powers as a counterbalance to protect their own interests in the area.

“Regional players lack the deterrence capacity and should Beijing seek to up the ante and increase hard power intimidation and coercive tools, it will have greater openings, justification and capacity to do so without serious costs to its economic and security interests.

“Asean states must therefore consider a defensive and security understanding with like minded countries that could bolster their own capacity to respond to such intrusions, whether by kinetic or diplomatic means,” he said.

In early February, a US warplane shot down a Chinese high-altitude balloon over the Atlantic Ocean after it had crossed the US and caused a diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Since then numerous unidentified objects have been spotted in several countries, raising tensions and security concerns.

For the Asean states of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam such methods at violating airspace could have more serious consequences as these countries already face constant territorial intrusions, putting their energy, food security and territorial integrity at risk.

Malaysia and the Philippines in particular have seen increased activity in their exclusive economic zone (EEZ), with the former vessels in a disputed area near Malaysian waters off the coast of Sarawak to prevent foreign parties from exercising the “doctrine of estoppel” while Philippine coast guard accused a Chinese ship of shining a green laser light twice towards one of its boats to deliberately block a mission.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea under its “nine-dash-line” and has built militarised islands and even patrols its nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines in the area.

Western and allied nations opposed to the claims frequently carry out “freedom of navigation” exercises in the region to bolster Asean security.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is on an official visit to the Philippines, suggested a “multilateral” approach at the level of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) as a way forward in dealing with the disputed South China Sea.

“Due to the complexity and sensitivity of the issue, we should try and engage and take the position at a multilateral level between Asean so that we have a comprehensive approach and achieve an amicable resolution to this outstanding problem,” Anwar said at a joint news conference with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila. - Agencies