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What appears to be Beijing’s latest military flex in the South China Sea – the contested collection of shoals and reefs that plays a crucial role in global trade and also contains vast untapped gas reserves – has reportedly set off “alarm bells” in Manila, just as the Philippines and the US were preparing to begin a round of military drills. According to Bloomberg, Philippines personnel have lodged a complaint with a joint Chinese-Flippino commission created to resolve disputes in the region, after authorities counted a mass of 200 Chinese shipsaround the Thitu, the second-largest island in the Spratly Islands.

With a trade deal still in limbo, military tensions in the South China Sea have intensified as the US Navy has stepped up the pace of its “freedom of navigation” operations, while Beijing has stepped up its threatening rhetoric toward Taiwan and carried out more military drills.

A Philippines official said the ships appeared to be part of China’s sea militia. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo said he would meet China’s ambassador and ask for an explanation for the bolstered presence, after the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department lodged its protest with the committee.

Per BBG:

Philippine soldiers will continue their patrols in the disputed area, military chief General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. told reporters separately, adding that Chinese fishing vessels have repeatedly been spotted near the island. He urged a panel with representatives from both nations tasked with resolving South China Sea disputes to address Chinese presence in the area.
“This is a concern not only for the military, but for other agencies as well, including the Coast Guard. We are looking for ways to address this,” Madrigal told reporters on the sidelines of opening ceremonies for annual joint military drills between the Philippines and the U.S.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Not All Quiet on South China Sea

October 11, 2018

Not All Quiet on South China Sea

Photo Source Official U.S. Navy Page | CC BY 2.0

The near collision last week between a US warship and a Chinese destroyer in the Spratlys was more than two naval powers playing cat and mouse on the high sea. The incident came hot on the heels of Trump and Pence accusing China of meddling in US midterm elections, America slapping sanctions on China’s defence procurement unit and its head for buying S-400 air defense system from Russia, wild allegations that China interned more than one million Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, and the intensifying Sino-American trade war.

Such vitriol coming thick and fast from Washington perturbs and angers Beijing, even though China was the preferred scapegoat and whipping boy in past American hustings. What is different this time round is the total and full-frontal assault on the People’s Republic since the National Security Strategy report in December last year named Beijing, along with Moscow, as the foremost threats and adversaries to Washington. Already, the venom and viciousness spouted by Washington against China in recent weeks have far surpassed that directed at Russia.

America’s Unipolar Moment was well and truly over when Russia regained Crimea after the US-orchestrated coup against the democratically-elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. Cold War 2.0 began in earnest when Moscow sent troops to Syria in September 2015 at the request of President Assad to help Damascus fight against ISIS terrorists sponsored, trained and armed by the US. The new Cold War expanded to include China late last year after the National Security Strategy report.

It’s against such backdrop and in such geopolitical context that the recent incident in the Spratlys should be viewed. China’s patience and tolerance with almost monthly freedom of navigation patrols or FONP by the American Navy has been tested to the limit.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

China Says US Warship Sailing Near Spratly Islands Is “Severe Provocation”

March 23, 2018

China Says US Warship Sailing Near Spratly Islands Is “Severe Provocation”

After carrying out no fewer than four “Freedom of Navigation” operations last year and one in January, The US sent a Navy Destroyer to sail within 12 nautical miles of the Spratly Islands – a move that China condemned as a “severe provocation” just as the two countries are on the verge of an all-out trade war.

The operation was the US’s latest attempt to push back against an expanding Chinese military presence in the Pacific that at least one US military leader has characterized as an ominous national security threat that could lead to all-out war. Admiral Harry Harris said last month that the US should be “prepared for war” with China due to its increasingly aggressive posture, which he said was a veiled attempt by Beijing to undermine the national world order.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US destroyer Mustin traveled close to Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands and “carried out maneuvering operations.” The Spratly Islands, located in the South China Sea, are the epicenter of a territorial dispute between China and several of its neighbors, per Reuters. Twelve nautical miles is the internationally recognized territorial limit.

When asked about the operation, the U.S. military said its activities are carried out under international law and American forces operate in the region on a daily bases.

“We conduct routine and regular freedom of navigation operations, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future,” said Lieutenant Commander Nicole Schwegman, a spokeswoman for US Pacific Fleet.

China’s Defense Ministry said two Chinese naval ships had been sent to identify the US ship and warn it to leave the area immediately.

China opposes “illegal and provocative” operations, and denies US allegations that it’s cracking down on freedom of movement in the region.

A spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry said “the provocative behavior by the US side will only cause the Chinese military to further strengthen building up defense abilities in all areas.”

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

China Accuses US Warship Of “Trespassing” In Disputed Waters, Warns It To “Leave Immediately”

May 25, 2017

China Accuses US Warship Of “Trespassing” In Disputed Waters, Warns It To “Leave Immediately”

In the first unofficial challenge to Beijing over China’s domination of disputed waters in the South China Sea since President Trump took office, a US navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea according to the WSJ. The navy vessel, the USS Dewey, traveled close to the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, among a string of islets, reefs and shoals over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbors.

The USS Dewey

The “freedom of navigation” operation which in the past has infuriated Beijing, comes as Trump is seeking Beijing’s cooperation to rein in ally North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Territorial waters are generally defined by U.N. convention as extending at most 12 nautical miles from a state’s coastline. China’s claims to the South China Sea, which sees about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade pass every year, are challenged by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan.

Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea

The U.S. patrol, the first of its kind since October, marks the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters. One official said it was the first operation near a land feature which was included in a ruling last year against China by an international arbitration court in The Hague. The court invalidated China’s claim to sovereignty over large swathes of the South China Sea.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

US strategic bombers fly close to Chinese islands, ignore ‘get away’ orders

November 13, 2015

US strategic bombers fly close to Chinese islands, ignore ‘get away’ orders

Two US B-52 strategic bombers have flown near Chinese artificial islands in the South China Sea, ignoring calls to “get away” from Beijing’s airspace, the Pentagon said, claiming the “routine mission” was in accordance with international treaties.

The Pentagon points out that it regards the flights near the Chinese manmade islands as fully legitimate because from a US point of view, the airspace over the islands is a part of international airspace. The US military spokesman added that the B-52s did not get within 12 miles of the islands.

“We conduct B-52 flights in international airspace in that part of the world all the time,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said at a news briefing. “There was one B-52 flight…there was an effort made by Chinese ground controllers to reach out to that aircraft and that aircraft continued its mission unabated. Nothing changed.”

The Chinese military contacted the bombers, urging them to “get away from our islands,” according to a US official who spoke to The Hill.

The overflight took place overnight on November 8-9, another Pentagon spokesman Bill Urban specified, saying there were two bombers conducting a “routine mission”.

The incident comes around two weeks after a serious incident involving the US destroyer USS Lassen, which sailed close to the artificial islands. China was extremely critical of the US Navy’s actions.

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RT ✔@RT_com

China furious after US Navy

Navy destroyer passes disputed islands in S. China Sea http://on.rt.com/6urp

3:56 AM – 27 Oct 2015

“These actions of the US warship are a threat to the sovereignty and security of China, and safety of people living on the islands; they damage peace and stability in the region. In this regard, the Chinese side expresses extreme dissatisfaction and strongly protests,” a statement posted on China’s Foreign Ministry website read.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

It’s On: Obama Sends Destroyer To Chinese Islands, China Vows Military Response

October 26, 2015

It’s On: Obama Sends Destroyer To Chinese Islands, China Vows Military Response

For anyone who might still be somehow unaware, the US is currently in a superpower staring match with both Russia and China. The conflict in Syria has put Moscow back on the geopolitical map (so to speak), creating an enormous amount of tension with Washington whose regional allies have been left to look on in horror as Russian airstrikes and an Iranian ground incursion dash hopes of ousting President Bashar al-Assad.

Meanwhile, in The South China Sea, Beijing has built 3,000 acres of new sovereign territory atop reefs in the Spratlys and although the reclamation effort itself isn’t unique, the scope of it most certainly is and Washington’s friends in the South Pacific are crying foul.

Beijing has continually insisted that it doesn’t intend to use the islands as military outposts, but the construction of runways and ports seems to tell a different story and so, Washington felt compelled to check things out over the summer by sending a Poseidon spy plane complete with a CNN crew to the area. Once the PLA spotted the plane the situation escalated quickly with the Chinese Navy telling US pilots to “Go Now!”

After that, an intense war of words developed with Defense Secretary Ash Carter insisting that the US would sail and fly anywhere it pleased and Beijing assuring the US that sailing within 12 nautical miles of the islands would prompt a harsh response from the PLA.

For weeks, the US was rumored to have been planning a freedom of navigation exercise in the Spratlys which, as we’ve pointed out several times this month, amounts to sailing by the islands just to see if China will shoot.

Jim Sciutto

✔@jimsciutto

Just in: @USNavy prepared to sail w/i 12mi of China’s manmade islands in #SouthChinaSea “w/i 24hrs”, has POTUS approval -Def. Official

3:23 PM – 26 Oct 2015

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

China Threatens The U.S., Says Will “Not Tolerate Violations Of Its Territorial Waters”

October 10, 2015

China Threatens The U.S., Says Will “Not Tolerate Violations Of Its Territorial Waters”

While the geopolitical posturing between the US and China over the South China Seas is nothing new, the latest and most dramatic installment started just one month ago, when as part of its celebration to commemorate the successful victory over Japan in World War II, China sailed five warships to the Bering Sea, off the coast of Alaska, just as Obama was quite literally taking selfies of himself a few hundred miles away.

Then yesterday, in the latest US attempt to one-up China despite the now long forgotten visit of China’s president to the US which clearly achieved absolutely nothing, and resolved even less, we reported that the US would retaliate to the most recent Chinese “prank” by sailing warships close to China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea as a signal to Beijing that Washington does not recognise Chinese territorial claims over the area.

A senior US official told the Financial Times that the ships would sail inside the 12-nautical mile zones that China claims as territory around some of the islands it has constructed in the Spratly chain. The official, who did not want to be named, said the manoeuvres were expected to start in the next two weeks.

The move, which is likely to raise tensions between the powers, comes amid disagreement over several issues, including US allegations that China is engaging in commercial cyber espionage.

As a reminder, this is area which is provoking so much consternation due to the location of vast commodity resource fields underneath:

Which is odd: one would think this could have been cleared up just two weeks earlier when the two presidents were having a state dinner in the White House (where Michele Obama was dressed in Vera Wang). One wonders just what the topic of conversation was if this most important aspect of geopolitical tensions was left entirely uncovered.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

China’s Island Building Reveals the True Power in Asia

June 22, 2015

China’s Island Building Reveals the True Power in Asia

China’s land reclamation moves in the South China Sea may be cause for reproach, but no one will do a thing about Beijing’s island-building program beyond the huff and puff of objection.

While the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has been deliberating on the Philippines’ case against Chinese expansion into the Spratly Islands, China has stated that the results will have no bearing on its behavior, and has since reclaimed over 2,000 acres of land.

China continues to push the limits because it knows it can get away with its land grab, avoiding conflict or tarnishing any of its bilateral relations, even as the United States tries to vilify its eastern rival.

US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter remarked to the Shangri-La Dialogue Security Council in May that China risks miscalculation or conflict with its actions.

Adding to the litany of concerns, Malaysia’s defense minister warned of the potential for this flashpoint to escalate into one of the region and the world’s deadliest conflicts. Though tensions have risen in region making the Spratlys a potential flashpoint, China rarely lets its actions risk stability.

Pursuing its claims over the South China Sea – overstepping those of the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia among others – is not the move of a bellicose nation poised for overt conquest. Instead it’s the cool calculation of a country with a penchant for stability and a keen eye for potential dangers; and it is this insidiousness that is most alarming.

There is justification in the international community’s concerns with China’s expansion in the South China Sea. Regional neighbors don’t want to live in the shadow of a growing hegemon who employs bully tactics and uses its economic clout against them. They therefore look to the Washington for help. It is also in the United States’ interest to hamper the ascendency of its eastern rival – BRICS, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the rise of the New Silk Road – to maintain its fleeting dominance in Asia.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

“Strongly Dissatisfied” China Warns US “Accident” Is “Highly Likely” In South China Sea

May 23, 2015

“Strongly Dissatisfied” China Warns US “Accident” Is “Highly Likely” In South China Sea

Things are escalating rapidly in the South China Sea where Beijing has figured out an innovative solution to the notion of “disputed waters.”

As regular readers are by now acutely aware, China appears to have adopted the maritime boundary equivalent of the old “possession is nine tenths of the law” axiom because Chinese dredgers have been busy for some time now creating islands out of reefs in the Spratly archipelago. Once the islands are complete, China promptly colonizes them. Next comes the construction of cement plants, ports, and 10,000 ft airstrips.

Not surprisingly, Washington isn’t fond of China’s “sandcastles” and everyone from President Obama to the Pentagon is now shouting from the rooftops about territorial sovereignty and Chinese “bullying.”

The US took it up a notch this week when it flew a spy plane over Fiery Cross Reef, presumably just to see what would happen. A CNN camera crew went along for the ride. What Washington discovered is that when it comes to protecting its new islands, bashful China is not. “This is the Chinese Navy… YOU GO!” was the message that came over the radio.

The rhetoric and sabre rattling haven’t let up a bit since then and in fact, there’s been a steady stream of quotables from both sides over the past 48 hours. Here’s the latest.

Via Reuters:

The United States vowed on Thursday to keep up air and sea patrols in international waters after the Chinese navy repeatedly warned a U.S. surveillance plane to leave the airspace over artificial islands China is creating in the disputed South China Sea…

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

US Retaliates At China Escalation, Warns Sea “Sandcastles” May “Lead To Conflict”

May 22, 2015

US Retaliates At China Escalation, Warns Sea “Sandcastles” May “Lead To Conflict”

On Wednesday we showed what happens when US spy planes carrying CNN reporters get too close to China’s land reclamation project in the South China Sea. In short, the Chinese Navy not-so-politely advises them to “Go now!”

China is working diligently to construct man-made islands atop reefs in the Spratly archipelago where Beijing shares disputed waters with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. For its part, Washington is none too pleased with the effort and in a fantastic example of ironic rhetoric and American hypocrisy, The White House is shouting about violations of territorial sovereignty and Chinese “bullying”.

The Pentagon meanwhile has said the US may consider confronting China in the region with surveillance aircraft (and CNN crews apparently) and war ships, a move China has gently advised against, telling Washington that it might be in everyone’s best interest if the US “refrains from risky and provocative actions,” and now, China looks to have conducted a practice bombing raid on Wednesday.

Via The South China Morning Post:

China’s air force sent a group of strategic bombers through the Miyako Strait south of Okinawa in a long-range drill for the first time yesterday as part of military exercises in the western Pacific.

The manoeuvre came as US-based CNN reported that the Chinese navy repeatedly warned a US surveillance plane to leave airspace over artificial islands that Beijing is building in the disputed South China Sea.

CNN reported that on Wednesday a Chinese navy dispatcher demanded eight times that a US Air Force P8-A Poseidon surveillance aircraft leave the area as it flew over Fiery Cross Reef, where China has conducted extensive reclamation work. The exercise and the warnings underscore growing tensions between the armed forces of China and the United States, and China’s neighbours.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

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