Asia’s New Battlefield: The Philippines’ South China Sea Moment of Truth

[Kshatriya87]

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/th...efield-the-philippines’-south-china-sea-15985


A specter is haunting Asia—the specter of full Chinese domination in the South China Sea. Latest reports suggest that China could soon move ahead with building military facilities on the Scarborough Shoal, a contested land feature it has occupied since 2012. This would allow China, according to a Mainland source, to “further perfect” its aerial superiority across the contested waters. By building a sprawling network of dual-purposes facilities, and more recentlydeploying advanced military assets to its artificially created islands, China is inching closer to establishing a de facto Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the area. Integrating the Scarborough Shoal into its burgeoning defensive perimeter across the South China Sea will not only give it an upper hand in the contested waters, but also allow China to place the Philippines’ capital and industrialized regions within its strategic reach.

This is nothing short of a nightmare for the Philippines, which is alreadystruggling to protect its supply lines in the Spratly chain of islands due to growing Chinese military assertiveness in contested waters. Unlike most of Chinese occupied features, which lie well beyond the immediate shores of other claimant states, the Scarborough Shoal is located just about 120 nautical miles off the coast of the Philippines, well within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)—and also its continental shelf. To put things into perspective, the shoal lies nine hundred kilometers away from the closest Chinese coastline. For Manila, the contested land feature is arguably what James Shoal is to Malaysia and Hainan is to Mainland China.

Manila lost control over the shoal after a tense standoff with Chinese coast guard forces in the middle of 2012. But for more than a century, the Philippines has treated Scarborough Shoal as its northernmost outpost in the South China Sea. In fact, as far back as the Spanish colonial era, the Southeast Asian country has treated the shoal as the natural extension of its national territory. During Cold War years, it was a gunnery range and regular area of naval exercises for American forces, which accessed military bases in the Philippines.



As a leading Filipino maritime-law expert, Jay Batongbacal, explains, it was onlyafter the departure of American military bases (1991) that China began to “take concrete action to assert its long-dormant paper claim to the shoal, beginning with the issuance of amateur-radio licenses to hobbyists in 1994,” the year China wrested control of the Philippine-claimed Mischief Reef. In short, China’s assertion of its (supposedly) historical claim on the land feature was hinged on coldblooded balance-of-power calculations. Cognizant of the Philippines’minimal-to-nonexistent deterrence capability and the Obama administration’sequivocations on the extent of its defense obligations to Manila, China felt confident enough to usurp control over the shoal.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has been drenched in the ecstasy of presidential elections, with growing indications that the next government could be on a much more friendly footing with China, which giddily expressed its hope that the “new [Philippine] government can adopt positive and well-thought policies towards China, properly deal with relevant disputes, and improve bilateral relations with concrete actions."

Yet it’s far from assured that the next Filipino president will continue theincumbent administration’s alignment with America as well as its tough posturing against China. With the Arbitral Tribunal at The Hague expected to issue its final verdict on the Philippines’ case against China in coming months, the predisposition of the incoming Filipino president has gained greater salience. Above all, however, everyone is wondering about the United States’ next move: Will it stand by its ally and try to prevent China’s prospective militarization of the Scarborough Shoal, or, alternatively, will it continue its futile—if not counterproductive—policy of strategic ambiguity on the issue? Time is of essence.

 

[Kshatriya87]

Russia, China take united stance on North Korea, South China Sea

BEIJING – Denouncing what they see as outside interference in the South China Sea and Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministers of Russia and China voiced mutual support Friday as they seek to counter the influence of Washington and its allies, particularly in Asia.

Following talks in Beijing, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and China’s Wang Yi expressed opposition to the U.S. deployment of an anti-missile system in South Korea and said non-claimants should not take sides in the dispute over maritime territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Despite endorsing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea over its missile launches and nuclear tests, the two strongly criticized the proposed deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, system.

“Relevant countries shouldn’t use Pyongyang’s acts as a pretext to increase their military presence on the Korean Peninsula,” Lavrov told a joint news conference. “We believe the possible deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system won’t resolve this problem.”

Both Russia and China, North Korea’s now largely estranged ally, see the deployment as exceeding what is necessary to defend against any North Korean threat and would “directly affect strategic security of Russia and China,” Wang said.

That could “add fuel to the fire of an already tense situation and even possibly wreck the regional strategic balance,” Wang said.

Both men called for efforts to restart long-stalled six-nation talks on ending North Korea’s nuclear programs.

Their meeting came amid renewed tension on the Korean Peninsula, with South Korean officials saying the North unsuccessfully attempted to test-fire two suspected powerful intermediate-range missiles on Thursday.

It also comes ahead of a major North Korean ruling party meeting next week at which leader Kim Jong Un is believed to want to place his stamp more forcefully on a government he inherited after his dictator father’s death in late 2011.

On the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely, Lavrov said outside parties shouldn’t interfere, a reference to the United States, which has challenged Beijing’s claims.

Wang said it was up to those countries directly involved to find a peaceful resolution through negotiations.

“International society, particularly countries from outside the South China Sea, should play a constructive function in maintaining peace and stability and not contribute to the situation becoming more chaotic,” Wang said.

Criticized over its aggressive tactics and construction of new islands with airfields, harbors and radar stations, China has sought to use Russia to bulk up its side of the argument against the U.S. and claimants such as the Philippines, which has brought a suit at the U.N. Court of Arbitration seeking a ruling on ownership over territories it claims.

China has refused to take part in the arbitration or recognize the court’s ruling.

Along with enlisting Russia’s support, China has given heavy publicity to what it calls a new consensus reached with Brunei, Cambodia and Laos — three members of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations — endorsing its stance that the South China Sea dispute should not be an issue for ASEAN as a whole.

That has renewed criticisms from some that China is applying divide-and-conquer tactics with its smaller neighbors and trying to drive a wedge through the organization. ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines contest China’s claims, while Taiwan also claims much of the area.

While the U.S. says it takes no position on South China Sea sovereignty claims, it has worked to shore up the military capabilities of the Philippines, a treaty ally. Washington has also called on China to end its island-building projects and the U.S. Navy has repeatedly sailed and flown ships and planes nearby those structures, drawing sharp responses from the Chinese navy.

Wang and Lavrov both hailed two decades of warming ties between Moscow and Beijing, bitter Cold War rivals for a quarter century, who under Russian President Vladimir Putin have found common cause in challenging the West.

Russia has become a leading supplier of imported high-tech weaponry and resources such as oil and gas, while China is a major source of capital investment for projects in Russia.

Putin is scheduled to visit China in June.

 

[Kshatriya87]

China conducts military drills in South China Sea, Indian Ocean

BEIJING: Flexing muscles, China kicked off military exercises in the disputed South China Sea, east Indian Ocean and West Pacific involving advanced warships, helicopters and "special warfare" soldiers.

Three naval ships of China's Nanhai Fleet left a naval port in Sanya, Hainan Province on Wednesday, kicking off an annual combat drill in the South China Sea, east Indian Ocean and West Pacific, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The three ships include missile destroyer Hefei, missile frigate Sanya and supply ship Honghu.

They will later be joined by missile destroyers Lanzhou and Guangzhou, as well as missile frigate Yulin, which are now carrying out other duties.

With three helicopters and dozens of "special warfare" soldiers, the fleet will be separated into three groups that will sail to areas of the South China Sea, the east Indian Ocean and the west Pacific, to conduct varied drills.

The fleet will mobilise naval air force, garrison forces in the Xisha and Nansha islands, and forces of the Beihai Fleet along the way to take part in the drill.

The drill aims to enhance combat readiness and practise coordination between ships and aircraft, and other forces, the navy said.

China claims almost the whole of the South China Sea - a major shipping lane rich in natural resources, resulting in overlapping claims with several other Asian nations like Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

They accuse China of illegally reclaiming land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities for military use.

Over half of the world's commercial shipping passes through the Indo-Pacific waterways - including one-third of the world's liquefied natural gas.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

South China Sea WW3: Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia Flex Arms

http://www.morningnewsusa.com/south...nes-malaysia-indonesia-flex-arms-2376459.html

Now that signs of softening on China’s stance over the territorial dispute in the South China Sea is next to impossible, countries with existing claims in parts of the region have pledged to beef up its military presence and gang up against the relatively giant nation.

Sensing that fighting the giant on its own is a suicide; the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia have decided to team up in making its military presence in the region felt.


The three countries, whose military forces are in no way can be compared to China’s, have agreed to conduct joint military patrols in the contested territory to which, China claims 90 percent of the area by virtue of its self-imposed nine-dash-line rule, as previously reported by the Morning News USA.

In a meeting on Wednesday in Jakarta, Philippine Foreign Minister Jose Rene Almendras and his counterpart from Indonesia, Retno Marsudi, and representative from Malaysia, both agreed to establish a crisis response center in the sea between the three nations.

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Although the main rationale behind the agreement was to address the threat of piracy posed by the Abu Sayyaf Group in the region, many are skeptical about the true intention of the agreement.


According to a report from the Hindustan Times, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, said he had already instructed his military commanders to draw standard operating procedure, which will be used in responding to emergency situations in the area.

Widodo added that teams from the Philippines and Malaysia have to abide by the standard operating procedures, which will be instituted in the region.

“We have agreed to set up a national focal point among the three countries to facilitate sharing of information and intelligence in a prompt way, and to coordinate in any emergency situation. This way, we can respond faster,” Widodo was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.


The tripartite meeting, which was initiated by Malaysia, was in response to the growing concern of piracy and kidnappings within the region.

Also read: South China Sea WW3: US Gives PH $42 Million Worth Of Weapons

Want to get updates on South China Sea dispute? Subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kshatriya87]

@LETHALFORCE Can you please merge this thread with the one below?

http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/...ppines-south-china-sea-moment-of-truth.76298/

 

[amoy]

Rodrigo 'The Punisher' Duterte claims victory in Philippines election


Hardline candidate, who issued death threats during the campaign, has insurmountable lead over his nearest rival, according to monitors

Rodrigo Duterte poses for a selfie with a supporter in his hometown in Davao city. Photograph: Bullit Marquez/AP

Anti-establishment firebrand Rodrigo Duterte has claimed victory in the Philippines election.

After an incendiary campaign dominated by his profanity-laced vows to kill criminals, Duterte had a commanding lead over his rivals according to data released by the PPCRV, a Catholic Church-run poll monitor accredited by the government to tally the votes.

“It’s with humility, extreme humility, that I accept this, the mandate of the people,” he said, adding that his law and order platform was the key to his success.

“What I can promise you is that I will do my very best not just in my waking hours but even in my sleep.”

Duterte, the longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao, hypnotised millions with his vows of brutal but quick solutions to the nation’s twin plagues of crime and poverty, which many believed had worsened despite strong economic growth in recent years.

And after a record turnout of voters in Monday’s elections, and with 89% of the vote counted early on Tuesday morning, Duterte had an insurmountable lead of 5.92 million votes over his nearest rival, administration candidate Mar Roxas, according to the data.

Duterte had 38.65% of the vote, with Roxas on 23.16% and Senator Grace Poe in third with 21.71%, according to PPCRV.

In the Philippines, a winner is decided simply by whomever gets the most votes.

Poe, the adopted daughter of movie stars, had already conceded just after midnight on Tuesday.

“As a staunch supporter of electoral reform, I have a firm belief in the voice and sentiment of our people. I honour the result of our elections,” Poe told reporters in Manila.

“I congratulate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and pledge my support in working to heal our land and to unite our people toward the continued development of our country.”


Philippine presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe concedes defeat. Photograph: Mohd Rasfan/AFP/Getty Images

Duterte, a pugnacious 71-year-old, surged from outsider to the top of surveys with cuss-filled vows to kill tens of thousands of criminals, threats to establish one-man rule if lawmakers disobeyed him and promises to embrace communist rebels.

He also boasted repeatedly about his Viagra-fuelled affairs, while promising voters his mistresses would not cost a lot because he kept them in cheap boarding houses and took them to short-stay hotels for sex.

Duterte caused further disgust in international diplomatic circles with a joke that he wanted to rape a “beautiful” Australian missionary who was killed in a 1989 Philippine prison riot, and by calling the pope a “son of a whore”.

Departing president Benigno Aquino, whose mother led the democracy movement that ousted Ferdinand Marcos three decades ago, had warned repeatedly the nation was at risk of succumbing to another dictatorship.

“I need your help to stop the return of terror in our land. I cannot do it alone,” Aquino said in an appeal to voters in a final rally on Saturday in Manila for Roxas, his preferred successor and fellow Liberal Party stalwart.

In his final rally on Saturday, Duterte repeated to tens of thousands of cheering fans his plans to end crime within six months of starting his presidency.

“Forget the laws on human rights,” said Duterte, who has been accused of running vigilante death squads in Davao.

“If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because as the mayor, I’d kill you.”

Aquino, who is limited by the constitution to a single term of six years, had overseen average annual economic growth of 6% and won international plaudits for trying to tackle corruption.

However, his critics said he had done little to change an economic model that favours an extraordinarily small number of families that control nearly all key industries, and has led to one of Asia’s biggest rich-poor divides.

This criticism hurt Roxas, a member of the wealthy classes widely seen by many as lacking empathy for the poor.

Another key message of Duterte’s campaign was his pledge to take on the elite, even though his vice presidential running mate was from one of the nation’s richest and most powerful families.

In an intriguing sub-plot, former dictator Marcos’s son and namesake was in an extremely tight race for the vice presidency. After leading early, he fell just a few hundred votes behind with 10 percent of the vote to be counted on Tuesday morning, according to the poll monitor.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

All East and South East Asians look alike.

 

[Kshatriya87]

Chinese Jets Intercept US Military Plane Over South China Sea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON:
HIGHLIGHTS

1. Incident took place in international airspace during 'routine US patrol'
2. China claims most of South China Sea, 5 other nations counter that claim
3. US accuses China of militarizing region;China criticises US naval patrols

Two Chinese fighter jets carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a US military aircraft on Tuesday over the South China Sea, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in international airspace as the US reconnaissance aircraft carried out "a routine US patrol," a Pentagon statement said.

The incident comes a week after China scrambled fighter jets as a US Navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea.

Another Chinese intercept took place in 2014 when a Chinese fighter pilot few acrobatic maneuvers around a US spy plane.

The intercept is also days before President Barack Obama travels to parts of Asia from May 21-28, which will include a Group of Seven summit in Japan and his first trip to Vietnam.

The Pentagon statement said the Department of Defense was addressing the issue through military and diplomatic channels.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Over the past year, DoD has seen improvements in PRC actions, flying in a safe and professional manner," the Pentagon statement said, using an acronym for the People's Republic of China.

In 2015, the United States and China announced agreements on a military hotline and rules of behaviour to govern air-to-air encounters.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.

Washington has accused Beijing of militarizing the South China Sea after creating artificial islands while Beijing, in turn, has criticized increased US naval patrols and exercises in Asia.

The Pentagon last month called on China to reaffirm it has no plans to deploy military aircraft in the Spratly Islands after China used a military plane to evacuate sick workers from Fiery Cross.

In April 2001, an intercept of a US spy plane by a Chinese fighter jet resulted in a collision that killed the Chinese pilot and forced the American plane to make an emergency landing at a base on China's Hainan island.

The 24 US air crew members were held for 11 days until Washington apologized for the incident. That encounter soured US-Chinese relations in the early days of President George W Bush's first administration.

Last month, the Pentagon said that Russia had intercepted a US Air Force aircraft over the Baltic Sea in an "unsafe and unprofessional"way.

http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/chin...y-plane-over-south-china-sea-pentagon-1407737

 

[Navnit Kundu]

All East and South East Asians look alike.

What about 'South Asians'? haha I know that phrase makes you angry. I'm sure 'South East Asians' and 'East Asians' feel angry at the use of those respective terms too. We criticize Americans for imposing wrong terms on us, but we are fine with using the terms they imposed on others.

PS : As per DNA analysis this is how various races are actually divided :

These terms are actually used by the US to classify the world into war zones for their convenience. It means they don't respect national borders and sovereignty that is why they club nations together as per their war plans. It is offensive to the native people, as you know.

 

[Indx TechStyle]

What about 'South Asians'? haha I know that phrase makes you angry. I'm sure 'South East Asians' and 'East Asians' feel angry at the use of those respective terms too. We criticize Americans for imposing wrong terms on us, but we are fine with using the terms they imposed on others.

PS : As per DNA analysis this is how various races are actually divided :

These terms are actually used by the US to classify the world into war zones for their convenience. It means they don't respect national borders and sovereignty that is why they club nations together as per their war plans. It is offensive to the native people, as you know.

Though there is a very good reason that why these so called South Asians have to be called Indians because foreigners know about Indians mainly, not pakis or BD.
Offends them or not.
There's a story of a Lankan who travelled a number of European countries and was called Indian in first eye of whites everywhere.
He was saying that he was feeling as if his identity has been swallowed by Indians.
And pakis, they are many times called Guptas in UK. You must see their face at that time.
Many are such people, who pretend to be Indians to get foreign visa, because countries usually hesitate in giving visa to terrorists.

 

[Kshatriya87]

India may supply two warships to Philippines

..http://idrw.org . Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website , Kindly don http://idrw.org/india-may-supply-two-warships-to-philippines/ .

In a boost to India’s defence exports in a region of strategic importance, Kolkata-based public sector yard Garden Reach Ship Builders (GRSE) has emerged as the lowest bidder to supply two warships to the Philippines Navy. Diplomatic sources while confirming the development said that the final decision was expected in a couple of weeks. “A post qualification inspection was conducted by a team from Manila as per the procedure to check the capability of the shipyard. It is election time in Manila. So a final decision is likely to be taken in a week or two,” sources told The Hindu . GRSE is competing with five other bidders from South Korea and Spain. While it was widely reported that GRSE has offered the Kamorta class Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ships for the tender, GRSE officials denied it but did not elaborate on the specifics. ‘Act East’ policy Philippines which has territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea has announced plans to beef up its Navy and issued a tender in December 2013 for two frigates with a budget of Philippine peso 18 billion or about $437 million translating to about $218.5 million per ship with delivery of both ships to be completed in about four years. India has been actively beefing up relations in the region as part of its ‘Act East’ policy under which maritime security and defence cooperation are assuming a central role. On the other hand India has been attempting to build a domestic defence manufacturing base and increase its defence exports. India exported its first warship to Mauritius in December 2014, an offshore patrol vessel, CGS Barracuda, built by GRSE at a cost of Rs.350 crore. Since then GRSE has been aggressively scouting for opportunities in the neighbourhood. It is also set to supply four patrol vessels to Vietnam under the $100 million line of credit extended by India in 2014.

..http://idrw.org . Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website , Kindly don http://idrw.org/india-may-supply-two-warships-to-philippines/ .

 

[Kshatriya87]

China demands US to end surveillance after aircraft intercept

A US Defense official said two Chinese J-11 fighter jets flew within 50 feet (15 meters) of the US EP-3 aircraft. The official said the incident took place east of Hainan island.

- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/wo...craft-intercept-2810159/#sthash.68xqK2EC.dpuf


Beijing demanded an end to US surveillance near China on Thursday after two of its fighter jets carried out what the Pentagon said was an “unsafe” intercept of a US military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.

The incident, likely to increase tension in and around the contested waterway, took place in international airspace on Tuesday as the plane carried out “a routine US patrol,” a Pentagon statement said.

A US Defense official said two Chinese J-11 fighter jets flew within 50 feet (15 meters) of the US EP-3 aircraft. The official said the incident took place east of Hainan island.

“Initial reports characterized the incident as unsafe,” the Pentagon statement said.

“It must be pointed out that US military planes frequently carry out reconnaissance in Chinese coastal waters, seriously endangering Chinese maritime security,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei Hong told reporters.

“We demand that the United States immediately cease this type of close reconnaissance activity to avoid having this sort of incident happening again,” Hong said.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, he described the Pentagon statement as “not true” and said the actions of the Chinese aircraft were “completely in keeping with safety and professional standards.”

“They maintained safe behavior and did not engage in any dangerous action,” Hong said.

The encounter comes a week after China scrambled fighter jets as a US Navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea.

Another Chinese intercept took place in 2014 when a Chinese fighter pilot flew acrobatic maneuvers around a U.S. spy plane.

The intercept occurred days before President Barack Obama travels to parts of Asia from May 21-28, including a Group of Seven summit in Japan and his first trip to Vietnam.

China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.

Washington has accused Beijing of militarizing the South China Sea after creating artificial islands, while Beijing, in turn, has criticized increased US naval patrols and exercises in Asia.

The Pentagon statement said the Department of Defense was addressing the issue through military and diplomatic channels.

China’s Defense Ministry said in a fax that it was looking into reports on the incident.

“DANGEROUS INTERCEPTS”

In 2015, the United States and China announced agreements on a military hotline and rules of behavior to govern air-to-air encounters called the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES).

“This is exactly the type of irresponsible and dangerous intercepts that the air-to-air annex to CUES is supposed to prevent,” said Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank.

Poling said either some part of China’s air force “hadn’t gotten the message,” or it was meant as a signal of displeasure with recent US freedom of navigation actions in the South China Sea.

“If the latter, it would be very disappointing to find China sacrificing the CUES annex for political gamesmanship.”

Zhang Baohui, a security expert at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University, said he believed the encounter highlighted the limitation of CUES, and shows that Chinese pilots would still fly close to U.S. surveillance planes if needed.

“Frankly, we’re always going to see these kinds of incidents as China will always put the priority on national security over something like CUES whenever it feels its interests are directly threatened,” he said.

The encounter took place in international airspace about 100 nautical miles south of mainland China and about 50 nautical miles east of Hainan island, a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement issued later on Thursday.

Regional military attaches and experts say the southern Chinese coast is a military area of increasing sensitivity for Beijing.

Its submarine bases on Hainan are home to an expanding fleet of nuclear-armed submarines and a big target for on-going Western surveillance operations.

The Guangdong coast is also believed to be home to some of China’s most advanced missiles, including the DF-21D anti-ship weapon.

The Pentagon last month called on China to reaffirm it has no plans to deploy military aircraft in the Spratly Islands after China used a military plane to evacuate sick workers from Fiery Cross Reef, where it has built a 9,800-foot (3,000 meter) runway.

In April 2001, an intercept of a U.S. spy plane by a Chinese fighter jet resulted in a collision that killed the Chinese pilot and forced the American plane to make an emergency landing at a base on Hainan.

The 24 US air crew members were held for 11 days until Washington apologized for the incident. That encounter soured US-Chinese relations in the early days of President George W. Bush’s first administration.

Last month, the Pentagon said that Russia had intercepted a U.S. Air Force aircraft over the Baltic Sea in an “unsafe and unprofessional” way.

- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/wo...craft-intercept-2810159/#sthash.68xqK2EC.dpuf

 

[HariPrasad-1]

That is noce. If bettle field is shifted to somewhere else than we may use Indian ocean as our back yard. indian warships are now shifted to South china sea.

 

[Kshatriya87]

That is noce. If bettle field is shifted to somewhere else than we may use Indian ocean as our back yard. indian warships are now shifted to South china sea.

Not all of them. Just 4 stealth warsips have gone right now to make a stop at Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, SK, Russia & Malaysia.

Besides this, routine patrols of frigates and submarines is already going on in Indian ocean.

 

[Kshatriya87]

China To Send Nuclear-Armed Submarines To Pacific To Counter U.S., Beijing Claims

Just as most Americans settle in for a nice three-day Memorial Day weekend, news broke that China is planning to send submarines armed with nuclear missiles to the Pacific Ocean for the first time. The U.K.-based Guardian newspaper, citing Chinese officials, first reported the news on May 27.

According to the report, Beijing is claiming that U.S. weapons systems have become so advanced and so undermine China’s existing deterrent force that Beijing has little choice but to send in the submarines armed with nukes.

Beijing claims that U.S. plans disclosed in March to station the Thaad anti-ballistic system in South Korea, and the development of hypersonic glide missiles potentially capable of hitting China less than an hour after being launched, as major threats to the effectiveness of its land-based deterrent force.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s latest annual report to Congress released less than two weeks ago predicted that China will probably conduct its first nuclear deterrence patrol sometime this year.

The Guardian report said that warheads and missiles would be put together and handed over to the Chinese navy, allowing a nuclear weapon to be launched much faster if the decision to launch was ever made.

However, other reports seem to debunk the ability of Chinese to implement this plan, at least at the current time. A report by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), an organization that provides science-based analysis of and solutions to protect against catastrophic threats to national and international security, stated that “it seems that various news media reports and official statement continue to exaggerate or preempt the operational capability of the Chinese submarine force.”

“Many have said the new Jin-class SSBNs had begun conducting deterrent patrols, but the DOD [Department of Defense] report seems to indicate that the subs (or rather, their missiles) are not yet fully operational.”

 

[Kshatriya87]

Chinese Spy Ship Shadows US, Japanese, Indian Naval Drill In The Western Pacific

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis arrives to join the military exercise conducted by South Korea and the US in South Korea, March 13, 2016.

OKINAWA, Japan: A Chinese observation ship shadowed the powerful US aircraft carrier, John C Stennis, in the Western Pacific on Wednesday, a Japanese official said, joining warships from Japan and India in drills close to waters Beijing considers its backyard.

The show of American naval power comes as Japan and the United States worry Beijing will look to extend its influence into the Western Pacific with submarines and surface vessels as it pushes its territorial claims in the neighbouring South China Sea.

Beijing views access to the Pacific as vital both as a supply line to the rest of the world's oceans and for the projection of its naval power.

The 100,000 ton Stennis, which carries F-18 fighter jets, joined nine other naval ships including a Japanese helicopter carrier and Indian frigates in seas off the Japanese Okinawan island chain. Sub-hunting patrol planes launched from bases in Japan are also participating in the joint annual exercise dubbed Malabar.

The Stennis, which has been followed by the Chinese ship since patrolling in the South China Sea, will sail apart from the other ships, acting as a "decoy" to draw it away from the eight-day naval exercise, a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force officer said, declining to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Blocking China's unfettered access to the Western Pacific are the 200 islands stretching from Japan's main islands through the East China Sea to within 100 kilometres of Taiwan. Japan is fortifying those islands with radar stations and anti-ship missile batteries.

By joining the drill Japan is deepening alliances it hopes will help counter growing Chinese power. Tensions between Beijing and Tokyo recently jumped after a Chinese warship for the first time sailed within 24 miles (38 km) of contested islands in the East China Sea.

The outcrops known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China lie 220 km (137 miles) northeast of Taiwan.

Wary of China's more assertive maritime role in the region, the US Navy's Third Fleet plans to send more ships to East Asia to work alongside the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, a US official said on Tuesday.

For India, the gathering is a chance to put on a show of force close to China's eastern seaboard and signal its displeasure at increased Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. India sent its naval contingent of four ships on a tour through the South China Sea with stops in the Philippines and Vietnam on their way to the exercise.

 

[Kshatriya87]

China Condemns Indonesia's Firing On Chinese Boats In South China Sea
World |Press Trust of India | Updated: June 19, 2016 21:12 IST

Beijing: China today criticised the Indonesian navy for using "excessive force" on its fishermen which injured a Chinese crew member in the disputed South China Sea, the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries.

The foreign ministry strongly protested over the Indonesian navy's "harassment" of Chinese fishermen.

"China strongly protests and condemns such excessive use of force," said Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign ministry.

Chinese fishing boats were harassed and shot at by several Indonesian navy warships in a disputed fishing ground in the South China Sea on Friday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

One crew member was injured. Another fishing boat and seven crew were detained, it said.

The incident took place in a traditional Chinese fishing ground where China and Indonesia have overlapping maritime rights claims, Hua said.

Indonesia's actions violated international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and harmed the lives and property of Chinese fishermen, Hua said.

"China urges Indonesia to stop taking action that escalates tension, complicates issues, or affects peace and stability," she said.

Last month, China strongly protested after the Indonesian navy seized a Chinese boat in waters near Indonesia's Natuna Islands for allegedly fishing illegally.

The two countries have clashed before over the islands on the southwestern edge of the South China Sea.

China claims almost all of South China Sea which is disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Indonesia does not reject China's ownership of reefs or islets in the disputed waterway, but objects to Beijing's claims as they overlap with its own exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.

The US has been dispatching its warships into the waters claimed by China to assert freedom of navigation.

China has strongly opposed such action, saying the US threatens China's sovereignty and security, endangers the safety of people and facilities on the reef and harms regional peace and stability.

 

[amoy]

Philippines Foreign Minister: We Are Not America’s ‘Little Brown Brother’

Duterte visit to China may lead to changing alliances in East Asia

The friendly relationship between the Philippines and the United States has been one of the pillars of Washington's strategic military rebalance to Asia under President Barack Obama. But the alliance has been under strain since Duterte came to power three months ago and chafed at U.S. criticism of his bloody war on drugs, which has led to the killing of more than 3,100 alleged drug users and dealers by police and vigilantes.

He has insulted Obama and then made it clear the Philippines will pursue a much more independent foreign policy than it has in the past.

That has included the Philippines extending an olive branch to China, despite the two countries being locked for years in a bitter territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Duterte has also spoken of reaching out to Russia.

"Ever since President Duterte took office, China and Philippines have been engaging in friendly interactions, which have yielded a series of positive results," Zhao Jianhua, the Chinese ambassador to Manila, said at a Chinese National Day reception at the embassy this week.

"The clouds are fading away. The sun is rising over the horizon, and will shine beautifully on the new chapter of bilateral relations," Zhao said.

Duterte plans to visit Beijing from Oct 19-21, and hold talks with both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.

Diplomatic and business sources in Manila have said he will be accompanied by about two dozen businessmen, which could lead to deals being forged that could underpin any improved bilateral ties.

But key to a successful visit will be an understanding of how to approach the dispute over the South China Sea. Beijing has angrily rejected a decision by an international court in July that ruled China's claims to the waterway were invalid, after a case was brought by the Philippines.

Duterte wants China to abide by the ruling and allow access to the Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground for Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese fishermen. But he has not insisted on the ruling being implemented and said he would like to negotiate on the row.

"Duterte giving us face means we have to rethink our policy," a source with ties to China's leadership and the military told Reuters. "We have to reciprocate his courtesy."

FISHING RIGHTS

Getting Filipino fishermen access to the Scarborough Shoal would be a major win for Duterte and add to his already sky-high domestic popularity. According to a recent survey, he has a record high approval rating of 92 percent even as he faces international opprobrium for the killings.

"When Duterte visits China next month, his agenda will focus on trade, investments and fishery cooperation with China, including access to Scarborough," a Philippines foreign ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Zha Daojiong, an international relations professor at China's Peking University, said a deal over renewed Philippines access to Scarborough Shoal could be expected at the visit. But he said it would be a verbal rather than written agreement to avoid formally acknowledging the international court's ruling, which upheld the historic fishing rights of both states.

"There's many ways this meeting could be productive...even if there is likely to be some caution on both sides," Zha said.

Officially, Beijing has yet to confirm Duterte's visit, but the foreign ministry has said it welcomes a visit by him at an early date.

The Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said in an editorial last week it could lead to a new chapter in ties.

"A new, positive interaction between China and the Philippines, starkly different from the Aquino era, may be unveiled," it said, referring to the previous Philippines president, Benigno Aquino.

"Duterte shows stark differences from his predecessor in diplomacy and style. He seems to prefer more balanced diplomatic relations with other countries rather than being too reliant on the U.S."

HITLER

Duterte has this month struck at the heart of ties with the United States by saying the two countries would not hold any joint naval patrols during his six-year tenure and calling for the withdrawal of U.S. special forces stationed in the restive south of the country. On Friday, he outraged Jewish groups by appearing to compare himself to Adolf Hitler, which could heap more pressure on Washington to publicly turn against him.

Despite the uncertainty, U.S. officials have maintained that all remains well.

"As it has been for decades, our alliance with the Philippines is ironclad," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday, speaking to American sailors aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson at its home port in San Diego.

But analysts think damage has already been done.

"Officials in Washington must now be seriously worried about the trajectory of U.S.-Philippine relations," said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

"Especially military-to-military issues such as joint exercises and U.S. access to Philippine bases, and whether Duterte will try and cut a deal with Beijing over the South China Sea that will allow China to advance its maritime claims."

But not everyone in China is rushing to embrace Duterte, because of his extreme unpredictability. Last month, despite the new-found bonhomie, the Philippines said at a summit of Asian nations in Laos that it was "gravely concerned" about Chinese boats preparing to build structures at the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

 

[amoy]

Philippine president says "only China can help us"
Duterte's visit presents overdue opportunity for China-Philippines rapprochement

He spoke highly of the Chinese government and people, saying that China boasts hard-working people and "good, sound policies, internal and external."

"I would say that China deserves the kind of respect that China now enjoys," he added.

Duterte also lauded China's commitment to and generosity of helping others as a major player of the international community, adding that besides its own development, China has never forgotten those underdeveloped nations, as illustrated by its devotion to helping African and Southeast Asian countries to promote development.

Speaking of the two countries' economic and trade cooperation, Duterte said that since his country is abundant in tourism, mineral and agricultural resources, and China boasts a huge lucrative market, the two neighbors enjoy high complementarity and considerable potential for further cooperation.

The Philippine leader said his country needs to retain its friendly relationship with China and learn from the latter's success in economics and trade, especially in times of global financial crisis.

In terms of the South China Sea issue, Duterte said he prefers negotiation to confrontation.

"There is no sense in going to war. There is no sense fighting over a body of water," Duterte said. "It is better to talk than war. We want to talk about friendship, we want to talk about cooperation, and most of all, we want to talk about business. War would lead us to nowhere."

Duterte also made clear his opposition against some specific outsiders' attempts to meddle in the South China Sea issue.

"We are not interested in allowing other country to talk. I just want to talk to China," he said, adding he is willing to pursue joint development of the waters together with China.

The top Philippine leader also extended his gratitude to China, which, in stark contrast to some Western countries, has extended support for Philippine efforts against illegal drugs, as proved by the funding of a rehabilitation center which is about to open.

"Some other countries know we are short of money, (but) instead of helping us, all they had to do was just to criticize. China never criticizes. They help us quietly. and I said that's why it's part of the sincerity of the people," Duterte noted.

The philippine president also expressed his desire to let Manila jump onto the bandwagon of the Beijing-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, as his nation is short of funding for infrastructure such as railways and seaports.

He added that rapid development is hard to accomplish for any country without railways, saying he hopes China could offer soft loans.

"There are so many things in my country which I would like to implement, but for lack of the capital stock," he said.

The Philippines also hopes to realize common prosperity. "If we can have the things you have given to other countries by the way of assistance, we'd also like to be a part of it and to be a part of the greater plans of China about the whole of Asia, particularly Southeast Asia," Duterte said.

Speaking of his upcoming China tour, Duterte said he will take the opportunity to conduct dialogue with China so as to enhance mutual understanding and partnership.

"All that I would need to do is just to talk and get a firm handshake from the officials and say that we are Filipinos and we are ready to cooperate with you, to help us in building our economy and building our country."

There are some 2 million ethnic Chinese living and working in the Philippines, he said. "So we might be asking for your help, asking the Chinese people to help Chinese people here. They are Filipinos but they are also Chinese," Duterte said.

"My grandfather is Chinese ... It's only China (that) can help us," Duterte said.

 

[Mikesingh]

Let's face it. China will dominate the South China Sea and no one including the might of the US Navy can do zilch about it! The SCS as good as gone and the littoral states around the nine-dash line need to accept the reality.

They need to just lie down and enjoy it because they are all impotent and incapable of countering the hegemony of China including America which thinks it is the only super power on planet earth. But it's turned out to be inept, helpless, incompetent, ineffective, paralyzed and powerless to do anything about Chinese transgressions.

In reality, U.S. 'power' is as useless as tits on a boar-hog.