Jinchon Sea crisis

Jinchon Sea crisis
The Siniaporean SNR Pakrit replenishes the Zamastanian ZMS Dubois off Gangkou in 2019
Date 3 September 2014 – present (10 years, 2 months and 3 weeks) Location Jinchon Sea, Sancheon Gulf, Lengshan Gulf, Cantalle Ocean
Participants
WEDA/ODA Zamastan Quetana Emmiria Albarine Caspiaa Kalea Siniapore	SCA Yuan File:TosichiFlag.png Tosichi File:EmansiFlag.png Emansi File:SanpiaFlag.png Sanpia
Commanders and leaders
Cassious Castovia Zacharias Castovia Anya Bishop Foley Sakzi Atticus Moreau Nuno Lumeo António Brafeo Emília Medeiros Khayahad al-Azari Akram Sulaiman Brett Albright Sadie Melhaven Tee Hsien Moong	Xi Jingyi
Casualties and losses
69 killed	317 killed 54 wounded 1 ship sunk

The Jinchon Sea crisis, also referred to as the West Ausiana maritime disputes, is an ongoing diplomatic and military crisis involving several nations and international organizations over disputes in the Jinchon Sea, Sancheon Gulf, Lengshan Gulf, and the eastern Cantalle Ocean. Much of this crisis revolves around interpretation of the status of Gangkou, a Zamastanian administered-province which Yuan claims under historical ties from before the Yellow Flag Rebellion. Other causes of the crisis can be tied to the economic importance of the region, as an estimated third of the global maritime trade passes through the area.

Since 2014, Yuan has used small provocations, none of which would constitute a casus belli by itself, but cumulatively produce a much larger action or result in its favor which would have been difficult or unlawful to perform all at once. Instances like flyovers of Gangkou, Kalea, and Siniapore by military aircraft, naval encroachments into sovereign territorial waters, and electronic warfare have created international concern for a wider conflict. Nations have sometimes responded to Yuan's provocations with deadly force, as was the case in the 16 May 2022 sinking of the Huangshan. The crisis escalated dramatically after the Huangshan's sinking, as Yuan's navy began firing on and sinking international shipping vessels.

Causes of the crisis

Much of this crisis revolves around interpretation of the status of Gangkou, a Zamastanian administered-province which Yuan claims under historical ties from before the Yellow Flag Rebellion.

The crisis can be tied to the economic importance of the region, as an estimated Z$3.37 trillion worth of global trade passes through the area annually, which accounts for a third of the global maritime trade. 80 percent of Yuan's energy imports and 49.5 percent of Yuan's total trade passes through the Sancheon Gulf and Jinchon Sea.

Claimant states are interested in retaining or acquiring the rights to fishing stocks, the exploration and potential exploitation of crude oil and natural gas in the seabed of various parts of the area, and the strategic control of important shipping lanes. Maritime security is also an issue, as the ongoing disputes present challenges for shipping.

Status of Gangkou

The political and legal statuses of Gangkou are contentious issues. The People's Republic of Yuan (PRY) claims that the Zamastanian government's claim over the island is illegitimate, referring to it as the "Gangkou Authority". However, since the Treaty of Tiaking in 1905, Zamastan has held soveriengty over the island. Gangkou has its own currency alongside the Zamastanian dollar, both of which are accepted monetary trade as opposed to the Yuaneze yen. Gangkou also has a widely accepted passport, postage stamps, internet TLD, armed forces and constitution with an independently elected president, all alongside Zamastanian government functions.

Internationally, the island is generally recognized as Zamastanian sovereign territory. Only a handful of nations, most prominently Yuan, dispute it. Other regional states, most significantly Siniapore and the Kalea Confederation, endorse the sovereignty of Zamastanian control of the islands, largely as a move to deter Yuaneze influence. In the 21st century, Gangkou has become one of Ausiana's most important economic zones. On August 19th, 2021, President Xi Jingyi demanded that the Treaty of Tiaking be nulified and that the Zamastanian lease on the island would end in 2025, 80 years ahead of schedule and sparking a diplomatic crisis.

Timeline of incidents

2014-2020

• May 7th, 2014 - Zamastan responds to Yuan's claims over the fishing grounds off Taupo and Kalea in the Cantalle Ocean by saying that "Yuan has not offered any explanation or basis under international law for these extensive maritime claims."

2020-present

• May 14th, 2022 - The Shanghan Cooperation Alliance begins its largest ever military exercise in the Sancheon Gulf and Jinchon Sea.
• May 15th, 2022 - 18 Yuaneze warplanes fly over Gangkou; they are intercepted and warded away by Zamastanian fighter jets. A Yuaneze submarine surfaces in Siniapore's harbor.
• May 16th, 2022 - Sinking of the Huangshan; A Yuaneze frigate is sunk by a Zamastanian destroyer after breaching Gangkou's territorial waters and performing live fire drills. 317 sailors are killed.
• May 17th, 2022 - Sinking of the VMS Gully; A Vorrican container ship is sunk by a Yuaneze naval vessel, killing 4 sailors. Zamastan and Vorrica claim Yuan was trying to strike the nearby ZMS Happert in retaliation for the sinking of the Huangshan a day prior. Yuan claims the Vorrican ship was sunk by a Zamastanian submarine.
• May 18th, 2022
  • Sinking of the KMP Iolana; A Kalean naval corvette is sunk by a Yuaneze naval vessel, killing 113 sailors.
  • A Kaoroan container ship, KAS Integreco, is sunk by a Yuaneze naval vessel, killing all 16 crew members.
  • A Kossmilian container ship, KMS Cech, is sunk by a Yuaneze naval vessel, killing all 30 crew members.
  • President Emília Medeiros authorizes a navy corvette to join Zamastanian defenses around Gankou..
  • Multiple nations begin detaining Yuaneze vessels in their ports.