U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebuff

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebuff


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry steps off his aircraft alongside Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (L) in Sydney, August 11, 2014.

(Reuters) - The United States will monitor the South China Sea to see whether "de-escalatory steps" are being taken, a U.S. State Department official said on Monday, a day after China resisted pressure to rein in actions in the disputed waters.

The official spoke as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Sydney for talks on regional security with Australian officials, that will also involve Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

A U.S. proposal for a freeze on provocative acts in the South China Sea got a cool response from China and some Southeast Asian nations at a regional meeting at the weekend, an apparent setback to U.S. efforts to thwart China's assertive moves.

The U.S. official said the United States would follow up on those talks by assessing an ASEAN-China meeting due in a few weeks time on implementing a 2002 declaration on conduct in the South China Sea, something that "equates to the freeze."

"We will also be monitoring the actual situation around the rocks, reefs, and shoals in the South China Sea," he said.

China's Xinhua state news agency accused Washington of "stoking the flames," and "further emboldening countries like the Philippines and Vietnam to take a hardline stance against China, raising suspicion over the real intention of the United States and make an amicable solution more difficult to reach."

"It is a painful reality that Uncle Sam has left too many places in chaos after it stepped in, as what people are witnessing now in Iraq, Syria and Libya," Xinhua added in a commentary. "The South China Sea should not be the next one."

A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department hit back by saying the United States was not responsible for fomenting instability in the South China Sea.

"It's the aggressive acts the Chinese have taken that are doing do," Marie Harf told a regular news briefing.

"Everything that we are doing is designed to lower tensions, to get people (to) resolve their difference diplomatically and not through coercive and destabilizing measures like we've seen the Chinese take increasingly over the past several months."

SPIKE IN TENSIONSSouth China Sea tensions spiked in May when China parked a giant oil rig in waters also claimed by Vietnam. The United States and the Philippines have both called for a freeze in such moves, as well as on building and land reclamation work on disputed islands.

The rancor over the disputed sea has split ASEAN, with several states including some of the claimant nations reluctant to jeopardize rising trade and investment ties with China.

China has been able to head off regional action on the maritime issue before, most notably in 2012 when an ASEAN meeting chaired by Chinese ally Cambodia broke down in acrimony.

Australia was one of the countries to support the U.S. proposal at the weekend ASEAN meeting in Myanmar.

The U.S.-Australia meetings will include discussions on cooperation in missile defense, cyber security and maritime security, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters at a briefing with Australian counterpart David Johnston.

The two sides will also sign an agreement reached between U.S. President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the deployment of U.S. marines to Australia for joint exercises and training in areas such as disaster relief.

Hagel said the Unite States was firmly committed to its policy of a strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific, something that has irked China and been questioned by allies who wonder the extent of U.S. commitment to the region.

"We have an interest here, we will continue to have an interest here, we are a Pacific power," he said.

Some 1,150 Marines are stationed in Darwin in Australia's tropical north under a 2011 agreement that launched Obama's "pivot" to Asia.

The contingent, primed to respond to regional conflicts and humanitarian crises, is expected to swell to 2,500 by 2017. Johnston said troop numbers would be discussed at Tuesday's talks, amid reports that the U.S. plans to station more fighter jets and bombers in Australia's north.

U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebuff | Reuters
Things are getting sticky for China.

Chuck Hagel visited India and so did Kerry.

Warming of relationship with Australia and Japan by India.

And now all this.

It does not herald a smooth sailing for China to ensure here hegemonic pursuits and Salami tactics in Asia.

U.S. State Department stating that the United States was not responsible for fomenting instability in the South China Sea is not too far from the truth and indeed it's the aggressive acts the Chinese have taken that are doing so i.e. ushering in instability in Asia.
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

China hits out at US proposal on South China Sea

China accused the US of deliberately stoking tensions in the South China Sea as it rejected Washington's proposal for a freeze on provocative actions in the region, the foreign ministry said on Monday (Aug 11).


Beijing accused the US of deliberately stoking tensions in the South China Sea as it rejected Washington's proposal for a freeze on provocative actions in the region, the foreign ministry said on Monday (Aug 11). The remarks by Foreign Minister Wang Yi came at an ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) overshadowed by disputes over the strategically significant sea.

Beijing claims the sea almost in its entirety, putting it at odds with countries including the Philippines and Vietnam, and there have been several tense encounters in the area over recent months. US Secretary of State John Kerry appeared at the forum to push for a multilateral agreement to end all actions that risk further inflaming regional sensitivities.

But Wang said: "Some countries outside the region are restless, and stir up tensions... might their intention be to create chaos in the region? China and ASEAN are totally able to safeguard well the peace and stability of South China Sea." His comments, posted on the foreign ministry's website on Monday, were aimed squarely at the US, state-run media said.

China's official Xinhua news agency headlined its report on his comments: "China rebuffs US 'freeze' proposal on South China Sea." It said Wang repeated China's long-standing rejection of multilateral talks over the sea, saying that "relevant disputes should be addressed by countries directly concerned".

In a commentary on Monday, Xinhua described Washington's proposal as "counterproductive", adding: "It is simply an unconstructive idea. By stoking the flames, Washington is further emboldening countries like the Philippines and Vietnam to take a hardline stance against China."

"It is a painful reality that Uncle Sam has left too many places in chaos after it stepped in, as what people are witnessing now in Iraq, Syria and Libya," it added. "The South China Sea should not be the next one."

RHETORIC

At the ARF, Kerry on Saturday formally put forward Washington's proposal to cool maritime tensions based on claimant states agreeing to step back from actions that could "complicate or escalate disputes". The US has stepped up its rhetoric on the South China Sea following a series of maritime incidents between China and rival claimants, including Beijing's positioning of an oil rig in waters also claimed by Vietnam which sparked deadly riots in the Southeast Asian nation.

A senior US State Department official - declining to be named - said on Monday that at the ARF, long-running discussions on a code of conduct between nations in the sea had moved from "the abstraction of a long-term process" towards an "early harvest of ideas", without giving details.

But the official added that Washington would be carrying out surveillance in the area. "We will also be monitoring the actual situation around the rocks, reefs, and shoals in the South China Sea... in order to assess whether the claimants have taken to heart the consensus... that de-escalatory steps are called for," the official said.

China's claims in the sea, which lies on key shipping routes and is said to be rich in mineral and oil deposits, also conflict with those of Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.



China hits out at US proposal on South China Sea - Channel NewsAsia
Imagine the temerity of China!

They gobble up what they see and then the whimper in hurt 'indignation'.
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

US rejects legality of China's nine dash-line claim in East Sea
Released at: 16:39, 09/12/2014




China's nine-dash line is vague, says the US, and most interpretations of the claim are inconsistent with international law.
Thong Dat
The US State Department on December 5 published a report stating that China's nine-dash line and maritime claims in the East Sea do not accord with international law. China, however, has constantly claimed almost the entire East Sea, citing the nine-dash line to assert indisputable sovereignty.
The US said that China's position on its maritime claims is unclear. The 26-page report assessed three possible interpretations of the nine-dash line: as a claim to islands, as a national boundary, and as a historic claim. It is only the first interpretation where the US said the line could be consistent with international law. The other remaining two do not have a proper legal basis under the law of the sea, the report stated, referring to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
On the second interpretation of the line as a national boundary, the State Department believed that this too is inconsistent with international law. The report cited that dashes 2, 3 and 8 that appear on China's 2009 map are not only relatively close to the mainland shores of other states but all or part of them are also beyond 200 nautical miles from any Chinese-claimed land feature.
Regarding the third interpretation, the report said the line failed each element of a legal test: (i) no open, notorious, and effective exercise of authority over the East Sea, (ii) no continuous exercise of authority in the East Sea, (iii) no acquiescence by foreign states in China's exercise of authority in the East Sea. "The law of the sea does not permit [maritime] entitlements to be overridden by another state's maritime claims that are based on 'history'. To the contrary, a major purpose and accomplishment of the Convention is to bring clarity and uniformity to the maritime zones to which coastal States are entitled," the report stated.
It seems that ASEAN and China are yet to find a good way to resolve the dispute. While ASEAN is a necessary player in the search for a peaceful settlement of territorial disputes in the East Sea, Professor Carl Thayer, a well-known Vietnam analyst from Australia, believes that the bloc alone is not sufficient to bring about a settlement. "China bears major responsibility," he stressed. "Only Beijing can determine whether it will act with restraint in 2015 by refraining from redeploying the Haiyang Shiyou-981 to Vietnam's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Only China can end the stand off with the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal and Second Thomas Reef. And only China can halt its massive land reclamation activities in the Spratly Islands."
For its part, the State Department has come out publicly with the conclusion that: "Unless China clarifies that the dashed-line claim reflects only a claim to islands within that line and any maritime zones that are generated from those land features in accordance with the international law of the sea, as reflected in the UNCLOS Convention, its dashed-line claim does not accord with the international law of the sea."
US rejects legality of China's nine dash-line claim in East Sea
The bogus claim of China to pursue her hegemonic ambition with the bogus Nine Dash Line stands exposed.

Posing Dragon Crouching Rat is what the US is stating.
 

s002wjh

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
1,271
Likes
153
Country flag
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

Imagine the temerity of China!

They gobble up what they see and then the whimper in hurt 'indignation'.

here is my issue with ppl with alot bias, they alway blame china, but they never look at vietnam/phillippine etc etc claim. the area vietnam claim is what 4 time the size of their country, so does phillippine, the only reason china is in the headlight is because its more powerful.
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

here is my issue with ppl with alot bias, they alway blame china, but they never look at vietnam/phillippine etc etc claim. the area vietnam claim is what 4 time the size of their country, so does phillippine, the only reason china is in the headlight is because its more powerful.
They claim 4 times size of their country? Could you indicate such claims.

And China claims?

Now, who does a smash and grab without even a by your leave?
 

s002wjh

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
1,271
Likes
153
Country flag
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

They claim 4 times size of their country? Could you indicate such claims.

And China claims?

Now, who does a smash and grab without even a by your leave?
from you previous post, look at the vietnam BLUE dash line, then calculate the area the sea vs vietnam mainland

also might want to research a bit before claim china is the only one doing it. vietnam, phillippine all doing it before. china is late comer in the game, thats all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_and_the_Spratly_Islands
Philippine occupation

The Philippines sent troops to the Spratly group for the first time in 1968. It prioritized large islands such as Pagasa (Thitu) Island, Likas (West York) Island, Parola Island (Northeast Cay), Kota (Loaita) Island, Lawak (Nanshan) Island, and Pugad Island (Southwest Cay). Two small islands, Patag (Flat) Island and Panata Island (Lankiam Cay), were also occupied. Both are less than a hectare in size.

To further the claim of the Philippines on the island group, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, on June 11, 1978, formally annexed the Kalayaan Islands by virtue of Presidential Decree No.1596 to the Palawan.[10]

Several years after the Philippines had occupied its latest island, it had been apparent that Vietnam is not content in only occupying islands. Vietnam started occupying many reefs. As of 2008, Vietnam has about 30 non-island occupied features. Some of these are very close to Philippine-occupied islands. Due to this pressure of losing fishing area in South China Sea, the Philippines decided to occupy at least two reefs. One is Rizal (Commodore) Reef which does not belong in the northeast region. It is near to many Vietnamese and Malaysian occupied reefs, thus serving as a good sentry against eastward expansion of Vietnam and northward expansion of Malaysia (see the map below). Another one is Balagtas (Irving) Reef. Unlike Rizal Reef, Balagtas Reef lies at the center of the northeast region, making islands occupied by the Philippines seem to be closer to each other. If this was occupied by other country, Philippine-occupied islands would have a hard time reaching each other.

Southwest Cay invasion
Date 1975
Location Southwest Cay
Result Vietnamese Capture of Southwest Cay
Belligerents
Philippines Philippines South Vietnam South Vietnam

Southwest Cay, known as Pugad island in the Philippines, as (南子岛) Nanzi Dao in China and as Đảo Song Tử Tây in Vietnam, is an island in the Spratly group. It was occupied by Philippine forces up to 1975 when South Vietnam forces were able to invade the island.[11],
Southwest Cay is in the northern edge of the Spratly group. It is within North Danger Reef which also contains the Philippine-occupied Northeast Cay (Parola Island), Vietnamese-occupied South Reef and unoccupied North Reef. Southwest Cay and Northeast Cay are just 1.75 miles (2.82 km) away from each other. Each island can actually see the other within their respective horizons.

The invasion took place when all the Philippine soldiers guarding the island of Pugad left to attend to the birthday party of their commanding officer who is based on nearby Parola Island. The storm that day is also believed to have persuaded all the soldiers to regroup temporarily on Parola island. A report also came out saying that South Vietnamese officials managed to send Vietnamese prostitutes to the birthday party to lure the Filipino soldiers guarding Pugad Island. It was said to be a "present" to the Philippine commander for his birthday and as a move of South Vietnamese forces to befriend all Filipino soldiers guarding the Spratlys. Philippine soldiers did not expect that South Vietnam would resort to foul play since both Philippines and South Vietnam, together with the United States, were allies in the Vietnam War. This tactic is believed to be the reason why South Vietnamese forces knew that the Filipino soldiers left the island, an action that is usually kept confidential.

After the party and after the weather cleared out, the returning soldiers were surprised that there was a company of South Vietnamese soldiers on the island. The South Vietnamese flag replaced the Philippine flag flying in the pole created by Philippine soldiers themselves. The soldiers returned to Parola immediately for fear that Parola would be the next target. After higher-ups of the Philippines were informed about the situation, they instructed the troops based in Parola and Pagasa to stay on red alert status. The following morning, the only thing the Filipino soldiers could do in Parola was to "curse" while South Vietnamese sang their national anthem. Malacañang officials, who did not want to compromise the alliance while the Vietnam War was still being fought, decided to remain silent.

A few months later, the recently formed unified Vietnam (after North Vietnam successfully invaded South Vietnam) decided to remove all remaining South Vietnamese troops in the Spratlys and establish military control among the features. It was reported that dozens of South Vietnamese soldiers in Pugad Island swam all the way to Parola just to avoid being captured by North Vietnamese forces. It was then when Malacañang officials, headed by President Ferdinand Marcos, discussed how the Philippines could reclaim the island. It had been apparent that most of the officials (who treat the communists as a threat to the Philippine national security) want to attack Pugad to reclaim it. However, after an intelligence report came stating that the unified Vietnam had already built a huge concrete garrison within a few weeks, the officials dropped the plan and tried to resolve the issue diplomatically. However, this approach eventually died along the process making Pugad a Vietnamese-occupied island up to this day. This incident was confirmed in interviews with soldiers involved in an episode of the defunct Magandang Gabi Bayan (Eng.: Good Evening Nation) (MGB) of ABS-CBN.[12]
 
Last edited:

no smoking

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
Messages
5,000
Likes
2,302
Country flag
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

here is my issue with ppl with alot bias, they alway blame china, but they never look at vietnam/phillippine etc etc claim. the area vietnam claim is what 4 time the size of their country, so does phillippine, the only reason china is in the headlight is because its more powerful.
No, the only reason China is the headlight is because she is the only one has the potential control this part of territory while all the others has no such capability to reject outsiders.
So, as long as China is excluded from this territory, the part of sea could still under American's influence or even India's backyard in the future.
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

from you previous post, look at the vietnam BLUE dash line, then calculate the area the sea vs vietnam mainland

also might want to research a bit before claim china is the only one doing it. vietnam, phillippine all doing it before. china is late comer in the game, thats all.
The Nine dash line is BOGUS and figment of Communist China's hegemonic desires to legitimate her hegemonic quest.
 

Ray

The Chairman
Professional
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Messages
43,132
Likes
23,834
Re: U.S. to monitor South China Sea for de-escalation after China rebu

from you previous post, look at the vietnam BLUE dash line, then calculate the area the sea vs vietnam mainland

also might want to research a bit before claim china is the only one doing it. vietnam, phillippine all doing it before. china is late comer in the game, thats all.
The Nine dash line is BOGUS and figment of Communist China's hegemonic desires to legitimate her hegemonic quest.

Therefore, it is non starter.
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top