gubbi
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China's scenario to seize isles in South China Sea
If that isnt imperialism or regional hegemonic ambitions (an accusation often thrown towards a much docile India) then pray, what is? So much for peaceful military growth!
BEIJING - China is moving into regional bully mode.
Its military has drawn up an internal tactical plan to seize control of islands in the South China Sea that are now under the effective control of other nations, sources said.
China is embroiled in a number of territorial disputes in the South China Sea with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
While there is little likelihood of China actually implementing the strategy anytime soon, one aim was apparently to gain the upper hand in any future diplomatic negotiations by making clear that a naked show of force is always an option.
According to a source in the Guangzhou Military Region, which is in charge of the South China Sea, the tactical plan was drawn up in early 2009.
The two main pillars of the policy are the use of bombers to weaken island defenses and a subsequent landing of troops using amphibious assault ships.
The Chinese military has focused on these two tactics in recent training exercises.
Beijing triggered concern among ASEAN members as well as the United States with its declaration earlier this year that it regards the South China Sea as a "core interest," and following up with various moves to ensure that everybody in the region understood what was at stake .
Japan could also be affected because of the territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands, which are located in the East China Sea.
Under the tactical plan, the Chinese Air Force, working in tandem with air combat units of the Navy, would stage surprise bombing runs over military ports and ships based at targeted islands.
The plan calls for eliminating the enemy's combat capability over the course of about an hour and then begin landing troops using amphibious assault ships, such as the Kunlunshan, the biggest such vessel in the Chinese naval fleet. It has a displacement of 18,000 tons and can accommodate four helicopters on its deck.
While the invasion was under way, the main units of the North China Sea Fleet and the East China Sea Fleet would take up positions to block US aircraft carriers from approaching the island.
The Chinese military began large-scale training exercises in the South China Sea after the tactical plan was drawn up.
In May 2009, the Air Force and air combat units of the Navy started bombing training in earnest.
In July 2010, China's three sea fleets conducted a joint training exercise. It was the biggest maneuver ever staged by China, with half of the major vessels of the three fleets taking part. Bombers and anti-ship missiles were also used.
A source with the Guangzhou Military Region who took part in the exercise said, "We were able to demonstrate that we had the ability to destroy a US aircraft carrier."
In early November, a live fire exercise involving about 1,800 Chinese Navy amphibious assault troops was conducted in an area ranging from Zhanjiang in Guangdong province to nearby Hainan island.
The scenario for the exercise involved invading an island in the South China Sea now effectively controlled by another nation. Amphibious assault ships and tanks were used to land troops while countering electromagnetic interference and missiles fired by troops posing as the enemy.
Unusually for the secretive Chinese military, the training exercise was conducted in front of 273 military attaches representing 75 nations, sending a clear message.
According to Chinese government sources, China only effectively controls eight islands among those in the Spratly and Paracel islands in the South China Sea. Vietnam controls 28 islands, while the Philippines controls seven.
One government source said, "Our aim is to gain an advantage in territorial negotiations by applying pressure through demonstrating to the various nations that we have the capability of taking back the islands at any time."
Beijing demonstrated earlier this month that it was not interested in diplomatic negotiations with ASEAN member nations.
A meeting of officials at director-general level of foreign ministry bureaus was held Dec. 23 in Kunming, Yunnan province, among officials from China and ASEAN nations.
While the ASEAN representatives wanted discussions to decide on specific guidelines, China was content with reiterating the 2002 South China Sea conduct declaration that called for peaceful resolution of conflict while not directly addressing the territorial disputes that exist.
The stance represents a switch from the diplomatic policy established by the late Deng Xiaoping of "taoguang yanghui," which can be translated as "biding our time and building up our capabilities."
While it was considered a diplomatic principle that had to be adhered to for a century, some Chinese military officers are now saying that the policy has led to a weakening of China's diplomatic power.
Emphasizing core interests now represents that way of thinking.
Beijing, until now, has used the term mainly in relation to Taiwan and Tibet. As a Chinese military source said, core interest indicates that, "We will not make any compromise and would not hesitate from resolving any issue through the use of military force ".
While Chinese government officials among themselves had also considered the South China Sea a core interest, they have recently begun to make that argument in diplomatic negotiations.
China began claiming it had territorial rights over the South China Sea from the 1960s after reports emerged about vast petroleum and natural gas reserves in those waters. However, Vietnam and the Philippines were quicker in taking action to establish effective control over the islands.
China, emboldened by its rapid economic growth, now has an overwhelming military advantage over ASEAN nations. As a result, Chinese government officials have begun to call for more aggressive action in the South China Sea.
On its website, China's State Oceanic Administration refers to the South China Sea as follows: "There are territorial issues between China and other small nations, but we have to gain an advantage in territorial negotiations by displaying sufficient military power."
On Dec. 23, China's Agriculture Ministry held a meeting in Beijing of representatives from coastal regions involved in fishing operations. An agreement was reached to strengthen patrols in waters where territorial disputes exist.
The meeting agreed to strengthen the use of fishery patrol vessels to escort Chinese fishing boats in the South China Sea as well as to clamp down on illegal fishing by boats of other nations.
Agreement was also reached to deploy fishery patrol vessels to the East China Sea, including waters around the Senkaku Islands, as a means of protecting Chinese fishing boats.
A high-ranking fishing bureau official in the Agriculture Ministry said, "By aggressively providing information about the activities of the fishery patrol vessels, we want the international community to realize that emphasizing maritime interests is a core strategy."
A Japanese diplomatic source noted that Japan could be next, pointing to the fact that the East China Sea, along with the South China Sea, lies within the first island chain that China claims is part of its own waters.
"Once China completes gaining effective control over the South China Sea, it will shift its emphasis to the East China Sea that includes the Senkaku Islands," the source said.
If that isnt imperialism or regional hegemonic ambitions (an accusation often thrown towards a much docile India) then pray, what is? So much for peaceful military growth!
