South China Sea Forum

[Pinoy]

World | Thu Feb 18, 2016
WASHINGTON| BY DAVID BRUNNSTROM

The United States and the European Union warned China on Wednesday that it should respect an international court ruling expected later this year on its dispute with the Philippines over territory in the South China Sea.

China claims virtually all the South China Sea and rejects the authority of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague hearing the dispute, even though Beijing has ratified the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea on which the case is based.

Amy Searight, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defence for South and Southeast Asia, said the United States, the European Union, and allies like Australia, Japan and South Korea must be ready to make clear that the court's ruling must be binding and that there would be costs to China for not respecting it if it lost the case.

"We need to be ready to be very loud and vocal, in harmony together, standing behind the Philippines and the rest of the ASEAN claimants to say that this is international law, this is incredibly important, it is binding on all parties," she told a seminar at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Searight said the message to China, if it did not respect a negative ruling, should be, "we will hold you accountable."

"Certainly, reputational cost is at stake, but we can think of other creative ways to perhaps impose costs as well," she said without elaborating.

The Hague tribunal has no powers of enforcement and its rulings have been ignored before. Manila has said the court may hand down a ruling before May.

China disputes South China Sea territory with several other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as the Philippines.

Klaus Botzet, head of the political section of the EU Delegation in Washington, said it was difficult to oppose world opinion.

"A joint Western, a joint world opinion, matters also for Beijing," he said.

"If we unanimously support that international law as formulated by the international tribunal in the Hague ... needs to be upheld, that's a very strong message and will be very difficult to ignore," he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said he had "noted" the comments, and repeated China's opposition to the arbitration case and refusal to participate.

The Philippines' "scheme would never succeed", he told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

In unusually forthright language, Botzet said China's policy of military buildup was not in its interest.

"It's investing much more in its military relative to its economic growth; it's forcing its neighbours into alliances against itself; positions its neighbours otherwise wouldn't take and the return on investment on this policy is negative," he said.

The United States had exceptional military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific, Botzet said, adding that the European Union "strongly supports the American guarantee of international law in Asia."


(Additional reporting by Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Bernard Orr and Clarence Fernandez)

U.S. and EU warn China on need to respect South China Sea ruling| Reuters

 

[sword1947]

who care their rule? we have our rule, we follow ours

 

[dichoi]

.
U.S. Navy plans more South China Sea patrols in 2016
By David Larter, Staff writer1:47 p.m. EST December 19, 2015

The destroyer Lassen's vaunted patrol within the 12-nautical-mile limit of China's man-made South China Sea islands in October was the first challenge of China's sovereignty over the Spratly Islands since the land-reclamation began. Officials say the U.S. intends to continue periodic patrols to establish freedom of navigation, laying the stakes for more confrontations.

Six nations lay claim to parts or all of the Spratly Islands, a collection of reefs, rocks and other natural features. In the last two years, China has begun constructing islands on top of the reefs and claiming territorial seas around them to gain fishing and resource rights to most of the South China Sea.


NAVY TIMES

U.S. Navy sends destroyer by man-made islands in challenge to China's claims


Heading in to 2016, U.S. officials say that more patrols by Navy ships and aircraft are coming. Legal experts say these patrols are the only way to protect freedom of navigation rights disputed by China.

"We need to remind ourselves that [the] U.S. Navy ... has been conducting freedom of navigation operations since Jimmy Carter was in office," said Craig Allen, a professor of marine and environmental affairs at the University of Washington School of Law. "If you simply acquiesce to somebody else's claims, you could lose your rights."

The Navy's 7th Fleet, based in Japan, regularly patrols the South China Sea and other nations, including Japan, are considering joining the patrols. The Singapore-based littoral combat ship Fort Worth could also be tasked with a patrol but Navy officials say that is less likely — the Navy tends to dispatch front-line combatants such as destroyers and cruisers into contested waters.

U.S. Navy plans more South China Sea patrols in 2016

 

[Dungeness]

U.S is not exactly the role model for " following the international rules", so it doesn't really have a position in preaching others. The end of day, "National Interest" RULES.

 

[beijingwalker]

US is not even a member of the so called international court. why afraid of joining first? Cause US is the very countries which broke the international law numerous times . Such a big big irony ,see who is talking

 

[sicsheep]

World | Thu Feb 18, 2016
WASHINGTON| BY DAVID BRUNNSTROM

View attachment 294396

The United States and the European Union warned China on Wednesday that it should respect an international court ruling expected later this year on its dispute with the Philippines over territory in the South China Sea.

China claims virtually all the South China Sea and rejects the authority of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague hearing the dispute, even though Beijing has ratified the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea on which the case is based.

Amy Searight, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defence for South and Southeast Asia, said the United States, the European Union, and allies like Australia, Japan and South Korea must be ready to make clear that the court's ruling must be binding and that there would be costs to China for not respecting it if it lost the case.

"We need to be ready to be very loud and vocal, in harmony together, standing behind the Philippines and the rest of the ASEAN claimants to say that this is international law, this is incredibly important, it is binding on all parties," she told a seminar at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Searight said the message to China, if it did not respect a negative ruling, should be, "we will hold you accountable."

"Certainly, reputational cost is at stake, but we can think of other creative ways to perhaps impose costs as well," she said without elaborating.

The Hague tribunal has no powers of enforcement and its rulings have been ignored before. Manila has said the court may hand down a ruling before May.

China disputes South China Sea territory with several other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as the Philippines.

Klaus Botzet, head of the political section of the EU Delegation in Washington, said it was difficult to oppose world opinion.

"A joint Western, a joint world opinion, matters also for Beijing," he said.

"If we unanimously support that international law as formulated by the international tribunal in the Hague ... needs to be upheld, that's a very strong message and will be very difficult to ignore," he said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said he had "noted" the comments, and repeated China's opposition to the arbitration case and refusal to participate.

The Philippines' "scheme would never succeed", he told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

In unusually forthright language, Botzet said China's policy of military buildup was not in its interest.

"It's investing much more in its military relative to its economic growth; it's forcing its neighbours into alliances against itself; positions its neighbours otherwise wouldn't take and the return on investment on this policy is negative," he said.

The United States had exceptional military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific, Botzet said, adding that the European Union "strongly supports the American guarantee of international law in Asia."


(Additional reporting by Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Bernard Orr and Clarence Fernandez)

U.S. and EU warn China on need to respect South China Sea ruling| Reuters

Oh China has to obey the ruling, ROFL, even USA does not obey the court rulings.

 

[beijingwalker]

"Certainly, reputational cost is at stake, but we can think of other creative ways to perhaps impose costs as well," she said without elaborating.

What is that supposed to mean? How creative that can be? Like what they did to Russia? We dare them. China is an economic power house, we can do more damage to them than they us.

"reputational cost is at stake, " Those ignorant American must think that they have a good reputation globally. lol..

 

[Pinoy]

who care their rule? we have our rule, we follow ours

Well it's the International law that the World adhere and respect that will brand your 9 dash lies ILLEGAL and just pure nonsense.

You should thank us for bringing the issue to the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The issue will now be settled once and for all.

 

[true]

China thinks it can bully neighbouring nations in front of real superpowers ,soon they will regret it when their economy crashes .most countries are against China's outrageous claims .

 

[cirr]

China to station Z-18s on expanded Chenhang Island in the Paracels for rescue missions and anti-submarine warfare

according to the Japanese。

 

[seven7seven]

For those in the anti-China brigade who think the whole World is against China, think again.

Countries only care about national interests, namely economics, and China is overwhelmingly the largest manufacturing and export nation in the World. Most countries love trading with China because they deliver on time, provide funding for infrastructure projects in developing countries, without any political interference or strings attached and is becoming the biggest market for countries to export goods to.

China is like the antithesis of USA and most countries appreciate that. They won't overtly show their support to China because they know the current World hegemon is the jealous type that may lash out. China don't need the nice words of support from other nations, they just need their business.

Most countries in the World don't care that Vietnam and Philippines are a little sour because China are building up in SCS. They won't stop trading with China because of this. China is important to most countries for business. Vietnam and Philippines is way down the importance list for most countries. Pinoys can pin their hopes on a favourable ruling but don't expect it to mean anything to anybody else. It was always a losing battle, even if the ruling went their way.

 

[Aepsilons]

China is like the antithesis of USA and most countries appreciate that. They won't overtly show their support to China because they know the current World hegemon is the jealous type that may lash out. China don't need the nice words of support from other nations, they just need their business.

 

[dichoi]

.
US-China naval clash unlikely despite Chinese missile deployment: IHS
BY DOUG TSURUOKA on FEBRUARY 17, 2016 in ASIA TIMES NEWS & FEATURES, CHINA

A naval confrontation between the China and the US remains “highly unlikely” despite Beijing’s deployment of an advanced surface-to-air missiles (SAM) to an island chain in the South China Sea, says a Wednesday assessment by global insights firm IHS.

Satellite image of Woody Island in Paracels

A naval confrontation between the China and the US remains “highly unlikely” despite Beijing’s deployment of an advanced surface-to-air missiles (SAM) to an island chain in the South China Sea, says a Wednesday assessment by global insights firm IHS.

The stationing of a Chinese fourth-generation SAM system on Woody Island in the South China Sea’s Paracel Island chain is most likely a response to stepped-up US naval activity in the area, according to Omar Hamid, head of Asia analysis for IHS Country Risk. “But, a naval confrontation between China and the US remains highly unlikely,” Hamid said. “China’s approach to the disputed islands continues to be the gradual militarization of the territory under its control, and the creation of a situation of domain awareness and area denial for other regional claimants.”

US officials say satellite imagery shows that China has deployed its HQ-9 air defense system, which is closely patterned after Russia’s S-300 missile system. The HQ-9 has a range of 125 miles, posing a threat to military and civilian aircraft flying within its kill zone.

Hamid says the deployment follows recent activity in the same part of the Paracels, where on Jan. 30, a US guided missile destroyer sailed close to Triton Island. The move followed President Barack Obama’s announcement that US warships would continue to conduct freedom of navigation operations in the region, Hamid said.

Neil Ashdown, the deputy editor of IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review says in a separate analysis that China’s deployment signals “a significant military escalation” in the area. “This leapfrogs steps such as deploying shorter-range systems and increasing the tempo of visits by military aircraft to the islands,” Ashdown said. “However, the deployment is still less significant from a military perspective for the US and others than the deployment of systems such as the YJ-type anti-ship cruise missiles.”

Ashdown speculates the missiles are intended to send a message to the US and other South China Sea claimants following freedom of navigation operations conducted by US naval vessels in October 2015 and January 2016.”

“The Paracel Islands are closer to mainland China than the Spratly Islands, which Beijing may see as making the deployment less provocative,” the analyst added. “While significant land reclamation work has taken place on Woody Island, it is also indisputably an island for legal purposes, meaning its status is less contentious than some of the features that China has expanded in the Spratlys, for example Subi Reef, which was submerged at high tide before the reclamation work took place.”

Share this:

 

[ahojunk]

Washington's destabilizing role in South China Sea
(Xinhua) 16:44, February 18, 2016

South China Sea. (Photo/Xinhua)
​

BEIJING, Feb. 18 -- After failing to get its way at the first U.S.-ASEAN summit in California, Washington appears ready to grasp at anything that could be used against China.

And the media hype over China's deployment of a surface-to-air missile system in Yongxing Island, part of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, just provided Washington a much-needed excuse to once again criticize Beijing for its alleged role in "militarizing" the region.

For starters, China has indisputable sovereignty over the Xisha Islands and deploying limited and necessary national defense facilities on China's own territory has nothing to do with militarization in the South China Sea. China has repeatedly made it clear that it has no intention to militarize the region. Its activities are mainly for maintenance purposes, improving the living conditions for the stationed personnel there and providing more public goods in the region.

With trillions of dollars' worth of goods traversing the patch of water every year, the South China Sea is vital both to global trade and to China's development. Beijing has no reason to disrupt one of its own crucial arteries of trade. Meanwhile, the United States, which has become fixated on the South China Sea since Washington announced a pivot to the Asia-Pacific, has been the primary source of destabilization in the area.

It has conducted a slew of naval and air patrol trips in the vicinity of the China-owned islands, which is in clear violation of China's sovereignty, not to mention international law. In addition, it has also reopened military bases in the Philippines, in a move widely interpreted as stirring up tension in the region. Furthermore, some countries in the region are taking more provocative measures to press for illegitimate territorially claims ever since the U.S. put the South China Sea on its radar.

If there were a ranking for destabilizers in the South China Sea, there's no doubt Washington would top the list.

China's practices in the region are defensive in nature, and it sees direct talks between rival claimants rather than military means as the best way to resolve any dispute.

For the sake of regional stability and the common good, let's hope the United States honor its previous commitment of not taking sides on the issue or stirring up tensions. Only then can the South China Sea be home to calm waters.

 

[xunzi]

Sound like some kinds of blackmail. LOL