Indian Defence Forum

In the latest escalation of bellicose rhetoric over the
territorial dispute involving the South China Sea, Chinese
Defense Minister Chang Wanquan warned of "offshore
security threats" and urged for a "substantial preparation for a people's war at sea" to safeguard sovereignty, China's
Xinhua writes .
The warning comes a day after China launched a massive
naval drill which is set to prepare China for a " sudden,cruel and short " war.
Chang was speaking during an inspection of national
defence work in coastal regions of east China's Zhejiang
Province. He called for recognition of the seriousness of the national security situation, especially the threat from the sea.
Chang said the military, police and people should prepare for mobilization to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also asked to promote national defense education among the public.
This latest escalation in war rhetoric comes amid
unprecedented tensions over the disputed islands in the
South China Sea, where Beijing has been building airstrips
and military installations on reclaimed reefs and islands in
waters also claimed by a number of other Asian states.
The US Navy has dispatched warships and military planes
to the immediate proximity of the disputed islands, claiming it has done so to ensure the principles of freedom of navigation in international waters. Washington has been
also involved in a number of military drills in the region.
Beijing has slammed the naval and aerial displays by the US as provocations, and reinforced installation on the islands with anti-ship missile and air-defense complexes.
Today's unexpected escalation comes hot on the heels of
another angry response from China, when its nationalistic
Global China Times newspaper wrote an Op-Ed claiming thatthe "US would suffer more in war with China ", in response to a Rand Corporation report which listed four hypothetical scenarios for a US-China war.
source : www.zerohedge.com/