Posted on 10/12/2015 10:04:25 AM PDT by amorphous
On Friday, we reported the latest provocation in what has truly become a very dangerous, if largely pointless, staring contest between Beijing and Washington over China’s reclamation of land in The South China Sea.
Responding to suggestions that the US was set to sail warships around the islands Beijing has constructed atop reefs in the Spratlys, China served noticed that it would “never allow any country to violate China's territorial waters and airspace in the Spratly Islands, in the name of protecting freedom of navigation and overflight.” This was simply a formalized version of the more concise phrasing the PLA navy used when they instructed the pilots flying a US spy plane to “Go now!” when it ventured too close to Fiery Cross earlier this year.
It’s not immediately clear what China intends to do with the islands and further, it’s not entirely clear why anyone should necessarily care if Beijing wants to build “sand castles” in the middle of the ocean, but then again, for America’s regional allies the land reclamation efforts look a lot an attempt to build a series of military outposts by creating sovereign territory where there was none thereby effectively redrawing maritime boundaries and so, big brother in Washington is set to step in in order to protect vital shipping lanes.
Of course having already said that the navy plans to sail ships into the waters around the islands, the US can ill-afford to allow China’s “we won’t tolerate that” pronouncement to deter the Pentagon because the optics around that would be terrible at a time when the world is already questioning the strength and resolve of the US military. So the ships will indeed sail.
(Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...
Funny guy.
That group reminds me of our national mantra: “Diversity is Our Strength”.
China clearly took it to heart.
The Chinese facial expressions are priceless. lol
Nothing more dangerous than an armed coward who feels cornered. Putin’s emasculated him on a world stage. Now he needs to prove how tough he is.
Ah, Sum Ting Wong, that’s Sum Dum Fuk
Three or four nations other then the USA have stated vested interests in that are, both strategic and mineral (oil). This was a known problem as far back as during the Vietnam war.
are=area
The SKS Gay Chinese Navy Turd Burgling ‘Drill’ Team
Hu flung deng and wun hung lo.
Since Obama has shrunk and sabotaged our military and while China and Russia have grown theirs in size, technology and capability, I would not be surprised to see Obama put our military into a position where it gets seriously spanked...To show our weakness...
My thoughts as well. It's his schoolboy mentality.
Very evident during his 60 minutes (staged) interview as well.
Dude, that’s one queer outfit!
Didn’t he pull the only carrier out of the Middle East, on the pretext that it was being done for maintenance? While Putin is engaging the rebels and ISIS
The US Navy has always protected the freedom of navigation for commercial shipping, and with the free flow of goods to/from some of our allies at stake, we must cruise about and though these islands.
Is that Photoshopped?
Scary thought.
Something has him feeling froggy. I’m think the US probably has some hi-tech weaponry the world doesn’t know about. Let’s hope they work - especially against incoming nukes!
Now he needs to prove how tough he is.
That won’t take long..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.