Tag Archives: South China Sea

Deciphering China’s Moves

As Chinese Premier Xi Jinping prepares for his state visit to Washington, Beijing is flexing its muscle across Asia: massive hardware on display at the WWII victory parade, declarations of power projection across the region, and announcement of building airfields on the disputed islands in the South China Sea. Combined, these actions point to an increased assertiveness as part of a long-term strategy by the Chinese Politburo.

Currently, construction is ongoing on two separate artificial islands China has expanded from the original rock formations; the Obama administration is currently restricting the Navy from sailing within 12 nautical miles (which is the internationally recognized maritime boundary of a sovereign state) of the artificial islands.

This behavior grants de facto recognition to China’s claims. By positioning artillery and expanding airfields, it is clear what Beijing’s objective is: force projection across the South China Sea. With over $ 5 trillion worth of trade passing through these waters every year, the stakes could not be higher.

At the heart of the dispute is China’s claim of economic and military sovereignty well beyond 200 miles off its coast. While the US and its allies in the region point to the UN convention of the Law of The Sea, which stipulates that military sovereignty extends only 12 miles offshore, China is able to note that the U.S. has not itself signed the LOS treaty.

It’s not immediately clear that Beijing is ready to risk a confrontation with Washington over rock outcroppings offshore knowing, as it does, that the other parties in the dispute have signed military cooperation pacts with the US. Beijing could make trade very difficult if it chose to close choke points such as the Philippines’ Strait or the Straits of Malacca if its demands aren’t met. The US Navy is publicly committed to keeping the sea-lanes open, and such an act would greatly raise the probability of conflict.

US allies such as The Philippines and Japan are watching anxiously as the much-heralded ‘pivot’ to Asia by the Obama administration fails to materialize. Perhaps China’s military moves on the eve of Jingping’s visit will get the Administration’s attention.

China Stations Weapons In South Sea Islands

With the recent discovery that the Chinese are deploying artillery to at least one of the islands, it appears extremely likely that the Chinese intend to use the artificial islands as support areas for the invasion of nearby islands held by other countries. The mobile artillery vehicles seen on the island are of little worth against enemy ships or aircraft, but could be used to shell troop positions on nearby islands. The presence of such vehicles on the island are likely more of a declaration of intent, as the warships and aircraft present in the area are much more capable combat platforms for the sort of warfare that would occur in the South China Sea.

Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter called for the Chinese to halt construction of the islands this week, stating that the United States would not respect illegitimate claims of territory in the South China Sea. Carter’s comments came after a US Navy P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance/anti-submarine aircraft flew over the Chinese held Fiery Cross Reef, now being converted into an island. Such a warning was clearly meant for China, despite claims from Washington that it was not aimed at any particular nation.

The South China Sea has been the subject of a long standing territorial dispute between the nations in the region, chiefly China, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The Paracel and Spratly island chains in the South China Sea are suspected to be rich in natural resources and the sea itself serves as a major shipping route and fishing grounds. Lately, the Chinese, whose “nine dash line” claim on the area is by far the largest out of all the nations laying claim to the South China Sea, have begun to enforce their claims on the South China Sea by reclaiming land from the sea to create artificial islands. The artificial islands are created by means of dumping sand onto reefs and covering the sand with concrete. As the Chinese expanded into the South China Sea late, all the islands were claimed by other regional powers. The Chinese came up with a way around the deficiency; create their own islands. In 2012, the Chinese government saw control of the South China Sea as a vital element of foreign policy and decided to enforce their claims to the area. Previously, China and Vietnam had come to blows over the Paracel and Spratly islands twice in 1974 and 1988; the naval skirmishes resulted in China gaining control of the Paracel Islands and the Johnson South Reef near the Spratlys.

The Philippine government feels threatened by the construction of Chinese-controlled islands close to their shores, and has sought a ruling by the UN Tribunal on the Law of the Sea ruling in an attempt to stop China from building islands. However, the Chinese have rejected the Philippine’s government’s argument and have continued on with the island building program. Maintaining a permanent air base in the South China Sea, in addition to their existing carrier battle group, could allow for China to deny the strategically important area to American fleets as the US Pacific Fleet frequently travels through the South China Sea. This is troubling news, especially when taken with the recent reveal that China intends to develop a blue water navy capable of projecting power in the Pacific.

Though the Chinese claim that the building of artificial islands is completely lawful and justified as they do not target any particular country, American officials have cautioned against China upsetting the balance of power in the region, which has benefited all nations.

Seth Cropsey: Conflict in the South China Sea

Seth Cropsey, Director, Center for American Seapower, Hudson Institute; Former Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy; Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict speaks at the Center for Security Policy’s National ASecurity Group Lunch on Capital Hill regarding the latest developments in the South China Sea.

Beijing’s Fundamental Transformation

While President Obama hollows out our military to “fundamentally transform” America, there’s another very fundamental transformation taking place in Asia. Communist China is asserting ever-greater sovereignty and control over the resources, airspace and now the waters of the vast South China Sea. Its latest gambit is that foreign fisherman must get Beijing’s permission to operate there.

At this rate, it is only a matter of time before China demands that our navy stay out, too. And we’ll have too small and too unready a fleet to deter, let alone contest, such demands, leaving our allies to submit to the Chinese or face war without our help.

A true “pivot” is needed – to reverse our unilateral disarmament and reestablish, in Asia and elsewhere, the proven Reagan doctrine of “peace through strength.”