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South China Sea Forum

You must be joking, right? South vn practiced capitalism, why didn't the north vn keep it???
South vn despised the north vn, why didn't north vn get the hell out???
Whether Zhenghe found those islands on his seven voyages is not that important. China has traded with South Asia, Indian continents, even Arabs long before Ming Dynasty. We have been there long before Zhenghe time.
BTW, China officially never simply based her claims on Zhenghe at all. So do not use hearsays here.

You didn't understand what was the matter is discussed when you jumped in. After Geneva accords 1954 in Vietnam existed two states. What kind of social system has been applied in to each state in Vietnam: socialist or capitalist is not important. The Islands belong to South Vietnam was recognized by signing of both China and Nort Vietnam in Geneva Accords 1954.

Zheng He voyages is meaningless to claim of China over SCS. You could tell to other Chinese PDF members about that.
 
Tokyo may work with Hanoi, Manila on China territorial spats
  • Staff Reporter
  • 2014-05-12
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China's first deepwater drilling platform in the disputed South China Sea. (Photo/Xinhua)


Japan may be making moves towards an alliance with Vietnam and Philippines to resist China's increasingly aggressive stance in territorial disputes, reports Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao.

Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has said that Tokyo is willing to engage in dialogue with Beijing with no conditions. Last week, Yu Zhengsheng, one of China's top leaders, responded to the remarks, telling a group of Japanese legislators from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that the dialogue would only be held after Japan recognizes China's sovereignty over the disputed Diaoyu islands (Senkaku to Japan, Diaoyutai to Taiwan) and when Abe stops visiting the controversial war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

Media reports in Japan said Yu threw cold water with his words and reported that the country's government has decided to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam, while also conducting extensive talks with the Philippines, two countries which have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Japan's foreign minister, Fumio Kishida, has said that territorial disputes between Beijng and Hanoi Sea are due to China's unilateral provocative maritime activities. China should state the basis of its actions to Vietnam and to the international community, the minister said.

Vietnamese authorities said three of its nationals were injured by Chinese water cannon after a clash between their respective coast guard vessels in disputed waters on Friday. It brings the total number of people injured during their recent conflict to nine, Ming Pao said.

Tensions between the two countries have intensified since May 2 after Vietnam attempted to halt China's drilling operations in waters to the south of Zhongjian (Triton) island in the Paracels, or Xisha islands in Chinese. Both countries accused the other of ramming their boats, with China also utilizing water cannon, the paper said.

Meanwhile, China is also engaged in a standoff with the Philippines after the country detained eleven Chinese fishermen for poaching sea turtles last week in the area of the disputed Spratly islands, also in the South China Sea. The fishermen face charges for violating animal protection laws and they could face at least 20 years in prison if found guilty. Philippine officials said the fishermen will remain in custody until prosecutors decide whether to press charges, though photos released by Philippine authorities show that a number of the captured sea turtles died and were kept in inhumane conditions.

China has demanded that its nationals be released, citing GPS coordinates that suggest the fishermen were still in Chinese territorial waters.

Tokyo may work with Hanoi, Manila on China territorial spats
 
The following two amazing comments by Unnamed Sweeper Monk and capricorn at CDF that I could not help but share since they directly refers to the OP posted above.

Please see the link to the posts here

By Unnamed Sweeper Monk:

How is this warning Beijing? Calling for a peaceful resolution is done all the time, and means less than you think. I could also spin it as warning Vietnam since Vietnam is trying to use force against the Chinese oil rig. China is also calling for a peaceful resolution. Does that mean its warning itself?

Call me when they actually condemn China rather than just calling for a peaceful resolution. Otherwise you are literally interpreting observations to fit into your hypothesis rather than making a hypothesis based on what is observed.

By capricorn
"Come on! How could you possibly misconstrue that communique as a WARNING?

1. The way I look at it, most ASEAN nations do not give a DAMN as they see Philippines as a mere OBEDIENT PROXY for the US and most of all it does NOT CONCERNED them. Even the Singapore's most respect statesman LKY does not agreed with what BS Aquino's regime in Philippines is doing?

2. IMO Vietnam is playing with FIRE. History would have been changed if a revolutionist leader like Dr Sun Yat Sen was born and had overthrown the Qing back in 19th Century, Japan and the other foreign Powers would not have infiltrated China and the WW2 holocaust in Asia would not have occurred and most IMPORTANTLY Vietnam would still be ANNAM, a province of China. When China as a prominent power in ASIA in history, ASIA is always peaceful e.g. the King of Siam used to send his army to attack the various districts in Malaya until he received a message (more like a decree) from the Emperor of China to stop doing so.

3. Although Japan invaded China in 1930's and committed all the atrocities and genocides, USA did not interfered because in their opinion as stated in one documentary, it is a case of "Chinese killing Chinese" meaning they considered Japanese as Chinese. It was only when their own interest was threatened e.g. Japan wanted to kick USA of of Asia when they sneak attack Pearl Harbour, USA reluctantly entered the arena. But they waited until the Chinese almost finished off the Japanese Imperial Army before they really joined. If Japan still have the Northern Chinese Manufacturing base, Japan would never SURRENDER.
(Am I digressing? Certainly not. I am merely trying to explain to many that if they think USA will fight a war with China over these islands that she knew from the start really belongs to China. These were word expressed in expediency and was never meant to be taken seriously.)

3. As I constantly says before, since ANNAM was given her INDEPENDENCE by the thieving FRENCH COLONIALIST, what makes you think China did not RESERVED the RIGHT to re-annex her as the former territory of ANNAM. Even stolen relics are now slowly recovered and returned back to the owner China today.

4. The re-emergence of China first as the REGIONAL POWER never surprises never ASEAN nations as they themselves were originally TRIBUTARY STATES of ancient Chinese empire for the longest time. Many nations today e.g. Philippines and India never existed as a single nation then e.g. India was a 470 districts continent ruled by many Maharaja, cheftains, etc. and the island of Philippines mainly occupied by monkeys and headhunting tribes. ANNAM was ruled by Chinese Kings who pledged their allegiance to the Emperor in China.

5. ASEAN recognized that need to sign a Sea Code of Conduct with China because they do not wanted a WAR with China that will disrupted their trades with their biggest TRADE PARTNER. Moreover Sea Code of Conduct will be more effective in deterring other claimants from aggression e.g. Philippines, Indonesian, Vietnamese patrols had been shooting at each others although the news were generally gagged and suppressed. Philippines intrusion into Sabah is well known."
 
I was hoping they said all parties involved with scs dispute fight it out, winner take all.
 
Secretary Kerry: May 2014 » Remarks With Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam Before Their Meeting
Remarks With Singaporean Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam Before Their Meeting

Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
May 12, 2014

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SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. My pleasure to welcome the foreign minister of Singapore, Foreign Minister Shanmugam. He is probably the first person, I think – one of the first people I talked to when I first became the Secretary, and we have had the pleasure of working in a number of different meetings and fora in the Asia Pacific, elsewhere.

I want to thank him and Singapore for their strong strategic partnership with the United States. There are many issues of concern where we think alike and we work in partnership. One of the most recent, obviously, is the Chinese challenge to the Paracel Islands. And we are particularly concerned – all nations that are engaged in navigation and traffic within the South China Sea, the East China Sea, are deeply concerned about this aggressive act. We want to see a code of conduct created; we want to see this resolved peacefully through the Law of the Sea, through arbitration, through any other means, but not direct confrontation and aggressive action.

In addition, we have enormous interests in terms of our economies and other interests. We work on counternarcotics, we work on counterterrorism, and particularly of great interest to both of us is the economic relationship. We have some 2,000 American businesses that are based in Singapore. Singapore is an enormous port, as everybody knows. It’s critical to the trade and commerce in the region. We have had a free trade agreement with Singapore for some period of time now, and that really was the precursor to the thinking about the TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership, where again, Singapore has been deeply engaged, very involved in helping to shape it, showing leadership for which we are very appreciative.

In addition to that, we are engaged with the U.S.-Asia Pacific Comprehensive Energy Pact Partnership. And this is vital to our ability to be able to attract capital and fund renewable fuel projects, long-term clean energy projects for the future.

So I’m delighted to welcome the foreign minister here today, and we look forward to having a fruitful conversation. Thank you very much.

FOREIGN MINISTER SHANMUGAM: Thank you, Secretary Kerry. We have had – I met Secretary Kerry last year. We have had a great set of interactions. Singapore and U.S., we are old friends. Very strong partnership, very strong security relationship, and we have very similar ideas on a broad range of issues, as Secretary Kerry has said.

I want to talk to Secretary Kerry about both our bilateral issues – there are no issues, but how to take the partnership further, and also on regional issues, and also on the TPP, which Secretary Kerry spoke about. Today, 560,000 American jobs are dependent on exports to ASEAN alone, and ASEAN attracts nearly U.S. $200 billion of investments, the largest in all of Asia. One in three American jobs are dependent on exports to Asia. So the TPP has tremendous economic consequences for the U.S. and for our region, and I hope to speak with Secretary Kerry and others on the importance of making substantial progress, which is the President’s determination.

And on regional issues, on South China Sea issues, we have – I’ve just come from the ASEAN meeting. ASEAN foreign ministers issued a statement. We do not want tension. We want a code of conduct to be progressed with. We need a situation where parties resolve their disputes and differences in a way that’s acceptable to all, and I’m sure we’ll have good discussions. Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER SHANMUGAM: Thank you.
 
John Kerry in Vietnam with some key personnels ... for example : Us Ambassador in Vietnam David Shear
We believe in their long-term cooperation in strengthen Vietnam

January 13, 2014 · 1:06 am
Ambassador David Shear: From Vietnam to DOD’s Asian and Pacific Security Affairs (APSA)
– Domani Spero

Last month, President Obama announced his intent to nominate Ambassador David B. Shear to be the next Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs in the Department of Defense. The WH released the following brief bio:

Ambassador David B. Shear is the U.S. Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a position he has held since 2011. From 2009 to 2011, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State (DOS). Previously, he was the Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs at DOS. Mr. Shear joined the Foreign Service in 1982 and has served in Sapporo, Beijing, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, and Washington, D.C.

Mr. Shear received a B.A. from Earlham College and an M.A from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and has attended Waseda University, Taiwan National University, and Nanjing University.

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Ambassador David Shear with Senator John McCain
US Embassy Vietnam: CODEL McCain – Jan 18-20, 2012

APSA is responsible for oversight of security cooperation programs and foreign military sales programs within the regions under its supervision. It looks like it covers East Asia, South & Southeast Asia and Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia.

If confirmed. Ambassador Shear would succeed Mark Lippert who was appointed to the position in 2011 and confirmed by the Senate in 2012. In May 2013, Mr. Limpert became the Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense. Dr. Peter R. Lavoy who served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs (APSA) is reportedly leaving this month. Ambassador Derek J. Mitchell, the current U.S. Ambassador to Burma was previously the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for APSA.

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Mr. John Kerry in Ho Chi Minh city

and peaceful in Mekong river

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Kerry and John McCain...

Now you rested your back on stony walls.

How lucky you are!

Yes, you can trust them.

(Did not McCain fly some bombers over Vietnam back in the 60s? You suffer from serious false consciousness.)
 
Kerry and John McCain...

Now you rested your back on stony walls.

How lucky you are!

Yes, you can trust them.

(Did not McCain fly some bombers over Vietnam back in the 60s? You suffer from serious false consciousness.)

yeah. he was shot down and semidead when fallen into a water pond, Vietnamese saved his life until the date returning him to Usa in 1973. As I know he is the biggest supporter of Vietnam among US Senators.
He also the one criticised China aggression earliest this month.

Secretary of State John Kerry is Vietnam veteran too, He is friendly to Vietnam. the first Us ambassador in Vietnam Peterson is Vietnam veteran too. all friendly.

China never understand Vietnam right? we never forget but know how to forgive to former enemy.
 
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yeah. he was shot down and semidead when fallen into a water pond, Vietnamese saved his life until the date returning him to Usa in 1973. As I know he is the biggest supporter of Vietnam among US Senators.

He also the one criticised China aggression earliest this month.

Secretary of State John Kerry is Vietnam veteran too, He is friendly to Vietnam. the first Us ambassador in Vietnam Peterson is Vietnam veteran too. all friendly.

China never understand Vietnam right? we never forget but know how to forgive to former enemy.


I think this is a text book case of Stockholm Syndrome.
 
NEW YORK (May 10, 2014) Adm. Harry B. Harris, Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, speaks as a guest on Fox News' America's News HQ program, where he discussed the latest threats in the Asia-Pacific region and addressed America's rebalance, and the Navy's role in the whole-of-government effort.
 
China's Oil Rig Gambit: South China Sea Game-Changer?
China’s placement of a state-owned oil rig in the South China Sea was unexpected, provocative and illegal.

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By Carl Thayer
May 12, 2014

China’s placement of the giant state-owned oil rig HD-981 in Block 143 inside Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on May 2 was unexpected, provocative and illegal.

This incident marks the first time China has placed one of its oil rigs in the EEZ of another state without prior permission. This was an unexpected move because China-Vietnam relations have been on an upward trajectory since the visit to Hanoi by Premier Li Keqiang in October. At that time, both sides indicated they had reached agreement to carry forward discussions on maritime issues. China’s move was also unexpected because Vietnam has not undertaken any discernible provocative action that would justify China’s unprecedented actions.

China’s deployment of the rig was provocative because the oil rig was accompanied by as many as 80 ships, including seven People’s Liberation Army Navy warships. When Vietnam dispatched Coast Guard vessels to defend its sovereign jurisdiction, China responded by ordering its ships to use water cannons and to deliberately ram the Vietnamese vessels. These actions were not only highly dangerous, but caused injuries to the Vietnamese crew.

China’s actions are illegal under international law. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying justified China’s actions by claiming the rig’s operations were in Chinese “territorial waters” and had nothing to do with Vietnam. In other words, China has adopted a position similar to Japan with regard to the Senkaku Islands by declaring there is no dispute with Vietnam.

China has placed itself in an inconsistent position. China has been provocative in using paramilitary ships and aircraft to challenge Japan’s assertion of administrative control over the Senkakus. China seeks to get Tokyo to admit that the Senkaku Islands are disputed. Yet Beijing has adopted Japan’s stance with respect to Block 143 by refusing to acknowledge that there is a legal dispute between China and Vietnam.

Chinese spokesperson Hua Chunying only presented a general statement, not a detailed legal argument in support of China’s actions. Her claim that the oil rig is in Chinese “territorial waters” lacks any foundation because there is no Chinese land feature within twelve nautical miles of Block 143 on which to base this assertion. Chinese statements refer to the Paracel Islands – and not Hainan Island – as the basis for its claim.

China’s lack of clarity has led academic specialists and regional analysts to speculate about the possible legal basis of China’s claim. In 1996 China issued baselines around the Paracel Islands, including Triton Island. Specialists argue that China’s claim could be based on the proximity of Triton, and its entitlement to a continental shelf and EEZ.

Other specialists point out that the 1996 baselines do not conform to Article 8 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and cannot be used to advance a legal claim over Block 143.

If the former line of argument is accepted, China’s hypothetical EEZ would overlap with the EEZ promulgated by Vietnam. This would constitute a legal dispute. International law requires the two parties to enter into provisional arrangement, refrain from the use of force or the threat of force, and take no action to upset the status quo. Clearly China’s placement of the oil rig and its 80 escorts in Block 143 constitutes a violation of international law.

Analysts are divided on the motivations and objectives of China’s current bout of aggressiveness. Three main interpretations have been put forth.

The first interpretation views the placement of the HD-981 rig in Block 143 as the inevitable response by China to Vietnam’s promulgation of the Law of the Sea in mid-2012. Prior to the adoption of this law by Vietnam’s National Assembly, China unsuccessfully brought intense diplomatic pressure on Hanoi not to proceed. Immediately after the law was adopted, the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) issued a tender for blocks in the South China Sea that overlapped with blocks issued by Vietnam within its EEZ.

According to this interpretation, the current controversy is the result of a decision by CNOOC to follow through and begin exploring these blocks. In CNOOC’s view, Block 143 fell within Chinese jurisdiction. In China’s view, commercial exploration activities in Block 143 would undercut Vietnam’s claims to sovereign jurisdiction.

The first interpretation is questionable given the sheer size and composition of the fleet of 80 ships and vessels that accompanied the oil rig. This was clearly no ordinary commercial venture but a pre-emptive move to prevent Vietnam from defending its EEZ.

Diplomatic sources in Beijing also report that CNOOC officials revealed they were ordered to place the rig in Block 143 despite their misgivings on commercial grounds. CNOOC officials pointed to the costs of keeping the rig on station until mid-August when oil exploration is scheduled to cease. Other observers point out that the prospects of finding commercial reserves of oil and gas in this area are quite low.

A second interpretation posits that China’s actions were in response to the operations by ExxonMobil in nearby blocks..

This interpretation seems unlikely. ExxonMobil has been operating in Block 119 from 2011. While China protested the award of an oil exploration contract to ExxonMobil, China has not stepped up its objections in recent months. It is also unclear how the placement of a Chinese oil rig in Block 143 would deter ExxonMobil from operating elsewhere.

Finally, China’s actions appear to be disproportional and very likely counterproductive. Block 143 does not directly affect U.S. interests. Chinese interference with ExxonMobil would be a direct challenge to the Obama administration’s statement that U.S. national interests included “unimpeded lawful commerce.”

The third interpretation, first publicized by The Nelson Report (May 6, 2014), argues that China’s actions were pre-planned in response to President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines. During his visit, President Obama publicly opposed the settlement of territorial disputes by intimidation and coercion.

China was angered by the Obama administration’s prior criticism of China’s nine-dash line claim to the South China Sea and U.S. support for the Philippines’ decision to request international arbitration to settle its territorial dispute with China. In addition, China was outraged by President Obama’s public declaration of support of Japan and its administration of the Senkaku islands as well as President Obama’s declaration that U.S. alliance commitment to the Philippines were ironclad.

In sum, the third interpretation argues that China chose to directly confront the main premises of the Obama administration’s rebalance to Asia. China chose to expose the gap between Obama’s rhetoric and U.S. capability to respond to China’s assertion of its sovereignty claims.

Some analysts who support the third interpretation argue that China has taken heart from President Obama’s inability to respond effectively to the crises in Syria and the Ukraine. Therefore China manufactured the oil rig crisis to demonstrate to regional states that the United States is a “paper tiger.”

The third interpretation has plausibility. But it begs the question of why Vietnam was the focus for this crisis. Also, China’s actions could prove counter-productive, coming on the eve of a summit meeting in Myanmar of the heads of government of the ten states comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

On March 18, China and ASEAN held the tenth joint working group meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in Singapore. This was followed up by the seventh ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting on the Implementation of the DOC in Pattaya, Thailand on April 21. While progress has been slow, there were some encouraging signs that confidence building projects under the DOC might be developed. As one ASEAN diplomat put it to the author, “the journey [consultations with China] is more important than the destination [achieving a binding COC].”

China’s deployment of the oil rig and accompanying fleet ensured that the South China Sea would be a hot button issue at the ASEAN Summit. ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued a stand alone statement on May 10 expressing “their serious concerns over the on-gong developments in the South China Sea, which increased tensions in the area.” It is significant that a separate statement was issued on the South China Sea. This statement implicitly expresses support for Vietnam and lays the foundation for a similar statement by ASEAN heads of government/state.

The Foreign Ministers’ statement did not specifically mention China by name but it reiterated ASEAN standard policy on the South China Sea. The statement urged the parties concerned to act in accord with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to exercise self-restraint, avoid actions that could undermine peace and stability, and to resolve disputes by peaceful means without resorting to the threat or use of force.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Statement called on all parties to fully and effectively implement the DOC. The Statement also called for the need for “expeditiously working towards an early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.”

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Statement did not mention China by name in deference to Beijing. But the Statement may be read as a shift in the views by individual members of ASEAN that territorial disputes involving the Paracel Islands and its surrounding waters are a bilateral matter between China and Vietnam.

An endorsement of the Statement by the Foreign Ministers on the South China Sea by the ASEAN Summit will provide political and diplomatic cover for the United States and other maritime nations to express their concern.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has already come out in public in support of Vietnam. The U.S. State Department issued a statement characterizing Chinese actions “provocative.” More importantly, Assistant Secretary of State Danny Russel just visited Vietnam on a scheduled trip. He will be able to take his first-hand assessment back to Washington to shape the Obama Administration’s response.


Beneath the ASEAN diplomatic surface, however, China’s actions are likely to stoke anxieties already held by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. These states will seek to shore up their own maritime capabilities and to seek reassurance of support from the United States and other maritime powers such as Japan, Australia, and India.


Vietnam has reiterated its determination to respond to Chinese tactics of ramming its vessels. The current stand-off between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels in the waters around the CNOOC oil rig therefore holds the potential for an accident, a miscalculation, or the use of deadly force.

It is more likely that China and Vietnam will manage this affair by preventing matters from escalating to the extent that armed force is used. As of May 2, China and Vietnam have held six face-to-face diplomatic meetings in Beijing and three meetings in Hanoi between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese Embassy officials.

Vietnam has requested that China receive a high-level special envoy. Diplomatic rumor has it that the special envoy will be a member of the Vietnam Communist Party (VCP) Politburo. Vietnam has resorted to sending special envoys to Beijing on two occasions in recent years and both visits resulted in a lowering of tension.

On May 8, the VCP Central Committee opened a long-planned executive session. This will provide Vietnam’s leaders with an opportunity to review the current crisis and to work out an effective political and diplomatic strategy to deal with China. Consensus on this issue will give the special envoy authority to speak on behalf of the Hanoi leadership.

When China first announced the deployment of its oil rig, it stated that its operations would terminate on August 15. This provides plenty of time for both sides to orchestrate and manage the confrontation in Block 143 and provide a face saving means for ending the confrontation.
 
Ex-Chinese general wants retaliation vs Philippines
Posted as of 05/12/2014
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Retired Chinese PLA Major General Luo Yuan.

MANILA - A retired Chinese military general known for his hardline views urged Beijing on Monday to retaliate against the Philippines over the arrest of 11 Chinese fishermen caught poaching marine turtles near Palawan.

Retired People's Liberation Army (PLA) Major General Luo Yuan, in an online commentary, said Beijing should respond "tooth for tooth, eye for eye, to take 'further measures.'"

He said despite China's demands, the Philippine government has refused to release the fishermen and their ship and even brought them to court.

"Perhaps the Philippines simply did not take our warnings seriously," he said.

He specifically mentioned Ayungin Shoal, where Philippine Marines are deployed, as a pressure point that China can use.

"First, we should arrest illegal invaders (who) occupy our territory. [Ayungin Shoal is] not no man's land, not [a] sanctuary, but [a] tourist spot. It is our territory. We have actual jurisdiction over it," Luo said.

He said China should order Philippine troops to immediately leave the shoal.

"Otherwise, we will have a variety of means 'to clear' [the area]," Luo said. "I think the international community should understand."

Philippine Marines on board the BRP Sierra Madre are guarding Ayungin, which is also called the Second Thomas Shoal. The ship was grounded on the shoal as a way for Philippines to reiterate its claim on the area.

Last March 29, Chinese Coast Guard ships tried to block a Philippine civilian vessel carrying food and water for the soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre.

Luo also said Beijing should use various "political, economic, diplomatic, legal" means to pressure Manila. He said this includes wielding China's clout and influence in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Luo said if indeed the Chinese fishermen were poaching marine turtles, the incident should be handled by China and not the Philippines.

He claimed that Manila cannot arrest the fishermen under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the ASEAN Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

"Even in the disputed waters you have no right to arrest people," said Luo, who is currently vice-president of a Beijing-based think-tank consisting of retired military officers.

"We have maintained a great deal of restraint and patience. [The] Philippines invaded our eight reefs, and is now arresting our fishermen. When are we going to fight back?" he said.

He also warned the United States against interfering.

Luo said US treaties with Spain, the United Kingdom and the Philippines do not include the disputed maritime areas.

In 2012, Luo urged China to launch a "decisive action" against the Philippines to reinforce Beijing's claim on the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

Yuan said China has not abandoned the idea of "war at all costs" to protect its interests.

"'Peaceful rise and 'period of strategic opportunity' preclude war," said Luo, who has been described by Western media as "hawkish" for his ultranationalist views.

"It is incorrect to assume that China will completely rule out military action in any event during this 'period of strategic opportunity,'" he said, referring to Beijing's dispute with Manila.

"To safeguard our sovereign and territory rights, we will never hesitate to face up to any military challenge," he added.

He also believes that Filipinos won't go up against China's military firepower.

"Also, considering the relative military strengths of China and the Philippines, the Filipino people can judge for themselves the wisdom or otherwise of their government's decision to take this stand against China," he warned.

China currently has de facto control over Scarborough Shoal.

While his comments do not represent official policy and the PLA is only serving at the beck and call of China's Communist Party, officer-analysts like Luo have been given some leeway to strike a tougher tone in their comments, according to a report from Reuters.

Ex-Chinese general wants retaliation vs Philippines | ABS-CBN News
 
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