Posted on 10/12/2015 5:23:26 AM PDT by HomerBohn
As if poking the Russian bear wasn’t enough, the Obama administration has now chosen to rile the Chinese dragon.
In a move meant to project U.S. military power to the Chinese government, American officials announced that U.S. Navy warships will sail directly through a Chinese claimed 12-nautical mile zone in the disputed region of the South China Sea.
The contested waters around the Spratly Islands, which China claims as its own sovereign territory, have been the cause of intense controversy. The U.S. has refused to recognize China’s territorial claims and believes the disputed area resides in international waters.
Last month, at a joint press conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Obama said the two held a “candid discussion” about the disputed territory.
“I conveyed to President Xi our significant concerns over land reclamation, construction and the militarization of disputed areas, which makes it harder for countries in the region to resolve disagreements peacefully,” Obama said.
“I indicated that the United States will continue to sail, fly and operate anywhere that international law allows,” Obama added.
“Islands in the South China Sea since ancient times are China’s territory,” Xi resolutely stated.
The rapid development and scale of the artificial islands created by China have raised alarm bells in numerous other states in the region, a number of which stake their own territorial claims in the area.
China is essentially fortifying its strength projection and defensive capabilities in an area that had been relatively inaccessible before now. The fact that a rising superpower is claiming ownership over an area of strategic importance adjacent to their own coast is relatively unsurprising.
According to a report in the New York Times:
So far the country has built port facilities, military buildings and an airstrip on the islands, and recent imagery shows evidence of two more airstrips under construction. The installations bolster China’s foothold in the Spratly Islands, a disputed scattering of reefs and islands in the South China Sea more than 500 miles from the Chinese mainland.
The decision by the U.S., to revert to a projection of military strength in the region, reveals a complete diplomatic failure of the recent talks between President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping over this issue during Xi’s recent visit to the White House.
Although the islands are too small to support large military units, they allow for the Chinese to project a sustained sea and air presence in the area.
The U.S. position is that the Chinese are behaving in a manner inconsistent with international law, according to Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift.
“It’s my sense that some nations view freedom of the seas as up for grabs, as something that can be taken down and redefined by domestic law or by reinterpreting international law,” Swift said, according to a report by Reuters.
“Some nations continue to impose superfluous warnings and restrictions on freedom of the seas in their exclusive economic zones and claim territorial water rights that are inconsistent with (the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). This trend is particularly egregious in contested waters.”
Additionally, an anonymous defense source told Foreign Policy that the U.S. was determined to put on a “show of military might.”
“It’s not a question of if, but when,” the official was quoted as saying.
According to the Guardian:
Many experts believe relations between Washington and Beijing have hit their lowest point in years, with tussles and friction over a growing list of issues including cyber espionage, currency manipulation, and human rights.
The U.S. would be severely mistaken if it believes the sending of a warship through what China perceives as sovereign territory will be perceived as anything other than offensive aggression by an imperialist power.
The U.S. is already engaged in proxy wars with Russia in Ukraine and Syria, which have the potential to devolve into an open conflict between the superpowers. Attempting to intimidate the Chinese in their own backyard seems like an extremely ill conceived move at this time.
American actions will inevitably only serve to bring the Russo-Sino strategic military alliance into closer consultation with one another in an attempt to stem U.S. global imperialism.
“[It is] hard to see how this ends well, but the only other option for the US is to concede, which will materially damage US credibility in Asia, be viewed by[Chinese] policymakers as further evidence that the US is in terminal decline and be an additional impetus for Beijing to push harder against the US in Asia,” China expert Bill Bishop wrote in his Sinocism newsletter on Friday.
While this may be extremely good news for defense contractors and weapons manufacturers, it’s extremely dangerous news for the rest of the world. One strategic miscalculation could result in events spiraling drastically out of control.
Obama could always draw a red line in the South china Sea and hope in a 21st century Battle of Midway.
The US has already overflownthe island alot with P-8 Poseidon’s. The chinese sound very unprofessional when warning the US. Oneeven says You Go! Go! LMAO. One of the Americans on board chuckles at what he’s hearing on the radio. The americans on the other hand sound very professional and handles it correctly. If china fires on us they will be vaporized. Here is one of the videos a few weeks ago.
I would responded to the chinese, I will take a number 1 with extra soy. LMAO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaKbZW0pqkM
Well then its war then if we cant transverse international waters freely and china can stake a claim on anything. This is unacceptable, syria with the russians is questionable, but in this we have to preserve freedom of navigation. If they fire on us their tiny island will cease to exist.
“The Navy is begging to eat a Silkworm missile here with no plan at all to do anything about it.”
I’m not sure of when but didn’t one of our ships get a hole blown in the side of it while ona refueling dock in Yemen?
As I recall we did little or nothing.
If my recollection is correct, Beijing is likely using that as exhibit ‘A’ to show the USA a paper tiger.
That was the USS Cole and its was a bomb not a missile.
Jay’s two major sources are the NYT and Guardian. The Guardian quotes read like pure Soviet propaganda. The NYT only slightly better. The article seems to be poorly thought out.
I never said it was a missile; I said a hole was blown in the side of the ship. A poor assumption on your part.
Regardless, the point is we did nothing meaningful in response, and Beijing likely has taken that into account as well.
The Chicoms have the same opinion of Barry that Putin has.
What a great time to have an experiment in the oval orifice.
-9mm
???
5.56mm
You haven’t been paying attention.
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