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South China Sea Forum

Is this (controlled by Vietnam) illegal or not ? although smaller than Subi island
bed594a8-7658-47ff-b2c1-c3fb86b2936b-jpg.307631

Spratly Island is existed from ancient time. we can do what we want on our islands. Its legally activities of true owner.

The man made island on Subi reef of Chinese is illegal. Its the difference.
 
Spratly Island is existed from ancient time. we can do what we want on our islands. Its legally activities of true owner.

The man made island on Subi reef of Chinese is illegal. Its the difference.
LOL ... interesting, first hear 'the double standard' from Vietnam. China also can do what we want on our lands.

More faster, more efficient, more bigger ~!

Malaysian navy chief visited Liaoning this week.

20160605083112342.jpg
Soon there will be next A.C to visit. :coffee:
091518z6pl1p2w41p4kppc.jpg
 
The following is an email to the Editor - Leslie Fong.

-------
Freedom of Navigation Ops: US Exercising Right or Might?
2016-06-01 12:18:26 Agencies Web Editor: Guan Chao

Leslie Fong

An e-mail that takes a dig at Uncle Sam for using freedom of navigation as a lame excuse to flex his muscles at China over its maritime claims in the South China Sea has somehow found its way into my mailbox.

Written by a certain Ms Oh Beigong from Taipei, it was addressed to Admiral Harry B. Harris, Commander of the United States Pacific Command, and copied to his bosses, US Secretary of Navy Ray Mabus and US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Now, I would like to make it clear that I have not the faintest idea who Ms Oh is but I do think she has a sharp elbow. From the little that I know, what she has written is accurate but just so readers can judge for themselves, I reproduce here the e-mail in its entirety:

"Dear Admiral Harris,

I write to congratulate you for standing up for mariners the world over to assert the right to freedom of navigation in international waters. You showed much daring when on May 10, you sent the USS William P. Lawrence, an Arleigh Burke class missile destroyer, to within 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross Reef, over which Beijing has long claimed sovereignty and which it has occupied for years.

Sure, some of my friends said the destroyer made just a single pass, which would qualify the sail-through as innocent passage under Article 18 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). In other words, they were telling me, the US had made a big deal out of it as there was no real risk of the Chinese responding and going ballistic, literally or metaphorically. They also said you didn't need guts, or even brains, to dispatch the destroyer as you were just carrying out the orders of your political masters!

That's quibbling. I think you deserve credit for risking the lives of your sailors as you couldn't know for sure the Chinese would steer clear of your destroyer. Remember the mid-air collision between one of your EP-3 spy planes and a Chinese J8 fighter on April 1, 2001? Nobody saw that coming and somebody did die - the Chinese pilot, Lieutenant Commander Wang Wei. The EP-3 was forced to land in Hainan and its 24 crew members detained and interrogated. Beijing, ruled by a more conciliatory Jiang Zemin then, set the 24 free eventually, compensated Wang's family and hailed him as a hero, a "Guardian of Territorial Space and Waters".

This time round, with a tougher Xi Jinping in charge and after so many provocations, no one could guarantee that the Chinese would not send a number of "fishing vessels" or even Coast Guard Cutters to sail right across the path of the USS William P. Lawrence and force a collision. Out of the question? Back in the 1980s, when the Cold War was still on, Soviet freighters did exactly that - they rammed American naval craft in the Mediterranean for encroaching on their waters. Chinese commentators have of late been talking publicly about emulating the Soviets. And hey, with all the nationalistic fervour whipped up on the mainland, the Chinese may need another hero!

Well, you got away again this time just as you did in January when the USS Curtis Wilbur skirted Triton in the Paracel group of islands claimed by Beijing and last October when the USS Larsen charged into contentious waters in the Spratlys. So, yes, you showed you had what it took to risk your men's lives without batting an eyelid. Bully for you!

But displaying testicular fortitude is one thing and pushing your luck too far is another. You have made whatever point you think you were making. But have the Chinese stopped building the airstrips and other structures on the disputed islands and reefs that the other claimants are said to be worried about?

Let me get serious. The US is playing with fire by repeatedly poking China in the eye. We in this region are going to be the collateral damage if this spins out of control. And why should we pay the price when the US does not really have right on its side? As a thinking man, did you not feel discomfort deep inside you when the US kept singling out the Chinese as the bad guys in the maritime disputes?

You must know better than most on this planet that the US has not been able to cite one instance when China actually denied anyone the freedom of navigation or point to any statement by Beijing threatening that right. Of course Washington will sidestep that - why let facts spoil a good excuse - and say instead that it cannot allow China's claim to waters bound by that famous or infamous nine-dash line that it has drawn in the South China Sea to go unchallenged.

Excuse me, but did you not know that it was the Republic of China government, now relocated to Taiwan, that first went to the United Nations in 1948 to lodge a claim using a map of the South China Sea showing 11 dashes? Yes, 11, not nine. Not one squeak about that in all this time, none from the US, Britain, Australia - till now.

You will say, no doubt, that the Chinese are going to militarise the airstrips and other facilities to project force, thus threatening all the countries in the region. Er, coming from a senior naval officer of a country that operates some 800 bases or military facilities in more than 60 countries around the world, several of them virtually at China's doorstep, that, sir, is a bit rich!

I may be just a fisherman's daughter from Kaohsiung but I have read enough to know that capability plus intention equals threat. Guess what? The US has 11 carrier battle groups circling the globe, each with enough firepower to send four-fifths of the world's countries back to the Stone Age, the largest and second-largest air force in the world (US Air Force and US Navy's Air Wing) and the openly declared intention of not allowing any other nation to challenge US power and supremacy. Talk about threats!

By the way, all the other claimants, except Brunei, are also building and expanding their presence in the disputed areas. In fact, Taiwan has troops stationed on Taiping Island, which is also claimed by the Philippines. But the US has looked the other way. I guess, to quote your former vice-president Al Gore, that is an inconvenient truth.

I know, I know, the US is not in the habit of admitting that it is or can be wrong. Thus not a word of apology for invading Iraq under the pretext of rooting out the non-existent weapons of mass destruction. Nor did Washington ever concede that it wrongly accused the Soviet Union of using biological weapons on the Hmong people in Indochina in 1981 when the yellowish substance that fell on them from the sky was found by an international panel of scientists to be just the faeces of huge swarms of bees!

Bottom line? Might is right. The US is out to stymie the rise of China and prevent it from challenging American dominance, if not hegemony. We get that. So do us a favour, please stop talking about high principles and international law.

However, if you wish to regain at least a modicum of respect from clear-sighted people in this region, here is something you, in particular, can do. In the name of asserting freedom of navigation and upholding international law, send your destroyer or whatever to an atoll in the Philippine Sea which the Japanese call Okinotorishima (Okinotori Island) and claim as their territory.

The atoll measures no more than 9 sq m at low tide, which is probably smaller than your office in Honolulu, and lies more than 1,700km south of Tokyo. But it is less than 500km from Taiwan itself.

Under Unclos, an atoll is not an island and thus cannot be used as the basis to claim the usual 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone or EEZ. But that has not stopped Tokyo from doing so, and it has proclaimed as its EEZ an area larger than the entire Japan. Taiwan is among the many that have refused to recognise this.

Last month, a Taiwanese fishing boat was seized by the Japanese Coast Guard for operating in the EEZ. It was set free only after the owners paid nearly US$55,000 (S$76,000) as a security bond. Fortunately, our government in Taipei took up the cudgels and said it would send naval vessels from now on to protect Taiwanese fishing boats.

So, please, dear admiral, send the William P. Lawrence there and have some of its crew go fishing near the atoll. All who look askance at your dubious freedom of navigation expeditions in the South China Sea thus far will applaud you.

Don't let the Chinese beat you to it!


The Author:

Leslie Fong is the senior executive vice-president of Singapore Press Holdings' marketing and digital divisions. He imagines an open letter a vexed Taiwanese fisherman's daughter might write to the Commander of the United States Pacific Command over the recent freedom of navigation exercise when the USS William P. Lawrence sailed within 12 nautical miles of Beijing-occupied Fiery Cross Reef.
 
5th June 2016,

China has rebuffed US pressure to curb its activity in the South China Sea on Sunday, restating its sovereignty over most of the disputed territory and saying it “has no fear of trouble”.

On the last day of Asia’s biggest security summit in Singapore, Admiral Sun Jianguo said China will not be bullied, including over a pending international court ruling over its claims on the vital trade route.

“We do not make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble,” Sun told the Shangri-La Dialogue, where more than 600 security, military and government delegates had gathered over three days.

“China will not bear the consequences, nor will it allow any infringement on its sovereignty and security interest, or stay indifferent to some countries creating chaos in the South China Sea.”

The waterway has become a flashpoint between the United States, which increased its focus on the Asia Pacific under President Barack Obama’s “pivot”, and China, which is projecting ever greater economic, political and military power in the region.

The two powers have traded accusations of militarising the waterway as Beijing undertakes large-scale land reclamation and construction on disputed features while Washington has increased its patrols and exercises.

On Saturday, top US officials including defense secretary Ash Carter warned China of the risk of isolating itself internationally and pledged to remain the main guarantor of Asian security for decades.

During a visit to Mongolia on Sunday, US secretary of state John Kerry urged Beijing not to establish an air defence identification zone over the South China Sea, as it did over the East China Sea in 2013.

Kerry, who will visit China next, said an ADIZ would be “a provocative and destabilising act”, which would question Beijing’s commitment to diplomatically manage the dispute.

Despite repeated notes of concern from countries such as Japan, India, Vietnam and South Korea, Sun rejected the prospect of isolation, saying many of the Asian countries present at the Shangri-La Dialogue were “warmer” and “friendlier” to China than a year ago. China had 17 bilateral meetings this year, compared with 13 in 2015.

“We were not isolated in the past, we are not isolated now and we will not be isolated in the future,” Sun said.

“Actually I am worried that some people and countries are still looking at China with the Cold War mentality and prejudice. They may build a wall in their minds and end up isolating themselves.”

On the upcoming decision by the international tribunal in The Hague in the case brought by the Philippines to contest China’s claims in the territory, Sun reiterated Beijing does not recognise the court’s authority.

said China wanted to solve the dispute with the Philippines bilaterally and said the door was open for dialogue with incoming president Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte said on Thursday he would not surrender the country’s rights over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, which China seized in 2012.

Japan’s minister of defense Gen Nakatani told reporters all claimants must abide by the ruling or else “Japan will have no choice but to strongly raise its voice from the standpoint of placing importance on the rule of law.”

China claims almost the entire sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.

“China has the patience and wisdom to settle any disputes through dialogue. We also believe the related countries have the wisdom and patience to make peace,” Sun said. “I’ve always believed that shaking hands is better than clenching fists.”

Vietnam’s deputy defence minister Nguyen Chi Vinh warned the rising tensions could lead to an arms race with “disastrous and unpredictable consequences” if not addressed. The US lifted Vietnam’s arms embargo last month.

Most countries at the summit stressed the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight in the waters, through which trillions of dollars in trade is shipped every year.

Sun denied such concerns should be focused on China.

“If there is any restriction ... it will definitely not be China’s fault. If you don’t believe it, just wait and see.”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...have-no-fear-of-trouble-chinese-admiral-warns
 
LOL ... interesting, first hear 'the double standard' from Vietnam. China also can do what we want on our lands.

More faster, more efficient, more bigger ~!

Island and reef is totally different concept here.

China is a threat: US scholar

VietNamNet Bridge - This is the second article in a series written Hoang Huong during her trip to Hawaii (USA), Beijing and Hainan (China), Masinloc and Manila (the Philippines) and Singapore with journalists from 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss the East Sea (South China Sea) conflict, held by the Jefferson Fellowships program of the East-West Center (USA).

20150608150703-1.jpg

The reef of Mischeft where China is conducting land reclaimation.

The three scholars mentioned in the article are Dr. Mr. Denny Roy, a senior expert on governance and security from the East-West Center (USA), Prof. Sherry P. Broder, a lecturer at the William S. Richardson Law School, University of Hawaii (USA) and Dr. Li Guoqiang, a researcher in the field of philosophy and social sciences from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Sharing the same view that China has been developing very strongly and this country now has great influence on global trade, the Chinese and American scholars’ perspective is different on the orientation and the way of development, as well as the attitude of China to the world in the process of economic development.

Referring to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), which was signed by China and ASEAN countries in 2002, Mr. Li Guoqiang said that during the process of discussion and implementation, the concerned parties should try to reach common awareness and should not impose their will on others. However, two American scholars pointed out the actions that go against the good words of China.

Prof. Sherry P. Broder said that in the past few years, China has been involved in serious standoffs with its neighbors. She listed various events such as China’s dispute with the Philippine Coast Guard at the Scarborough Shoal began in 2012. In November 2013, China unexpectedly declared an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over a large portion of the East China Sea that overlaps portions of the South Korean and Japanese ADIZs. In 2014, China sent the HD-981 oil rig in waters disputed with Vietnam near the Paracel Islands.

“China has also used its economic power to influence developments and to punish its opponents in the East Sea and West Sea disputes. For instance, in 2012, China restricted Philippine fruit imports. In 2010, China restricted exports of rare earth minerals to Japan. China claimed that the action was for environmental protection purposes, but in 2014 the World Trade Organization concluded that China’s restrictions were discriminatory and violated its rules,” said Prof. Broder.

Dr. Denny Roy frankly pointed out: “China sends dual, perhaps contradictory, messages. The first is ‘Don’t worry, we want peace and stability and trade that will be good for you.’ The second message is ‘We are increasingly powerful, so if you are wise you will treat China with deference and respect or you will suffer’.”

A reporter from New Zealand questioned why did China repeatedly state it observed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) but refused the arbitration case of the Philippines? Mr. Li Guoqiang explained quite confusingly: "The UNCLOS does not solve the territorial, dispute and military issues, just deal with the basic problems of the sea…"

Citing China’s respect of diplomatic measures among the three ways of settlement - military struggle, judicial arbitration and diplomacy – Mr. Li Guoqiang justified China’s attitude in the Philippines’ lawsuit as "justifiable and appropriate."

Prof. Broder said: “If the arbitration panel rules in favor of the Philippines, it will strengthen the position of the Philippines and probably encourage other countries in the region to bring claims to push back China’s claims. If China refuses to abide by the decision, it will erode China’s international standing and position as a global leader.”

"China is a threat"

Referring to the role of the US in the East Sea, particularly when the US recently sent the warship USS Fort Worth to patrol the East Sea, which was protested fiercely by China, Mr. Li Guoqiang said the US’s statement on the policy on the South China Sea was "unconstructive".

"The US is not the country concerned, but it has made a lot of actions to intervene in the South China Sea issue," he said.

From American view, Prof. Broder clearlysaid: “China has repeatedly promised that it means only peace. The Charter of the United Nations prohibits using force to settle territorial disputes. The escalating conflicts in the region could trigger a severe crisis, which would ultimately affect the entire world.”

“The US has continued to urge all claimants to follow the provisions of the 2002 DOC, in which the parties committed to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability. It is fair for other nations to evaluate the validity of what China says against its actions,” she said.

Dr. Denny Roy stressed that the rise of China is a threat. “A stronger China will more strongly demand Chinese security and prosperity. Inevitably, this will reduce the freedom of action and in some cases the security of China’s neighbors. In that sense the rise of China is a threat,” he said.

* Dr. Denny Roy taught Chinese studies, the history of Asia, and Southeast Asian politics at the Navy School of Monterey, California, in 1998 - 2000; researched on security - defense at the University of Canberra, Australia; taught political science at schools in Singapore and England before becoming a senior researcher of the East - West Research Centre in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. He is the author of many research works such as The Pacific War and Its Political Legacies; Taiwan: A Political Policy and China's Foreign Relations, and many articles in scientific - politics journals.

* Prof. Sherry P. Broder is a lecturer at the William S. Richardson Law School, University of Hawaiil, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Her major teaching and research fields are is international law, ocean law, environmental law and human rights. Also, she is a media advisor and arbitrator for Hawaii’s government. She is the founder and executive director of the Jon Van Dyke Institute for International Law and Justice, which regularly organizes seminars and events related to the UNCLOS, the International Environmental Law and the International law on human rights.

* Dr. Li Guoqiang is a researcher in the field of philosophy and social sciences. He is working at the border research center of the CASS, China.
 
I truly don’t understand, China why do you keep doing these kind of provocative things when they were not provoking you? First you did it to the Philippines, then to Vietnam, now you trying to make Indonesia and Malaysia your enemies too? Why you do these things when they are not even provoking you?

*shakes head in disbelief*

------------------------

As Beijing flexes muscles in South China Sea, Malaysia eyes harder response


REUTERS/JOSEPH SIPALAN
X
By Joseph Sipalan

MIRI, Malaysia (Reuters) - Spotting a large vessel off the coast of Sarawak state in March, officers on a Malaysian patrol boat were shocked when it steamed toward them at high speed, blaring its horn before veering off to reveal "Chinese Coast Guard" emblazoned on its side.

According to an officer from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been sighted several times before around the South Luconia Shoals, off the oil-rich town of Miri. But such an aggressive encounter was a first.

"To us, it looked like an attempt to charge at our boat, possibly to intimidate," said the officer, who was not authorized to speak publicly but showed Reuters a video of the previously unreported incident.

Spurred by the incident and the appearance of some 100 Chinese fishing vessels in the area around the time, some in Malaysia are hardening the nation's previously muted responses toward their powerful neighbor China.

One senior minister said Malaysia must now stand up against such maritime incursions as China flexes its muscles along dozens of disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea.

China's growing assertiveness has already alarmed the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimants. It has also increased U.S.-China tensions, with the two heavyweights trading accusations of militarizing the vital waterways through which some $5 trillion in trade passes each year.

But heralding its "special relationship" with China, and heavily reliant on trade and investment, Malaysia's previous responses to China's activity in the region have been described by Western diplomats as "low-key".

It downplayed two naval exercises conducted by China in 2013 and 2014 at James Shoal, less than 50 nautical miles off Sarawak. And in 2015, concerns raised by Malaysian fishermen in Miri about alleged bullying by armed men aboard Chinese Coast Guard vessels were largely ignored.

FISHING FRACAS

But when scores of Chinese fishing boats were spotted in March encroaching near South Luconia Shoals, a rich fishing ground south of the disputed Spratly Islands, Malaysia sent its navy and uncharacteristically summoned China's ambassador to explain the incident.

China's foreign ministry downplayed the matter, saying its trawlers were carrying out normal fishing activities in "relevant waters".

Just a couple of weeks later, Malaysia announced plans to set up a naval forward operating base near Bintulu, south of Miri...

source: Reuters. http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0YM2SV
 
I truly don’t understand, China why do you keep doing these kind of provocative things when they were not provoking you? First you did it to the Philippines, then to Vietnam, now you trying to make Indonesia and Malaysia your enemies too? Why you do these things when they are not even provoking you?

*shakes head in disbelief*

------------------------

As Beijing flexes muscles in South China Sea, Malaysia eyes harder response


REUTERS/JOSEPH SIPALAN
X
By Joseph Sipalan

MIRI, Malaysia (Reuters) - Spotting a large vessel off the coast of Sarawak state in March, officers on a Malaysian patrol boat were shocked when it steamed toward them at high speed, blaring its horn before veering off to reveal "Chinese Coast Guard" emblazoned on its side.

According to an officer from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been sighted several times before around the South Luconia Shoals, off the oil-rich town of Miri. But such an aggressive encounter was a first.

"To us, it looked like an attempt to charge at our boat, possibly to intimidate," said the officer, who was not authorized to speak publicly but showed Reuters a video of the previously unreported incident.

Spurred by the incident and the appearance of some 100 Chinese fishing vessels in the area around the time, some in Malaysia are hardening the nation's previously muted responses toward their powerful neighbor China.

One senior minister said Malaysia must now stand up against such maritime incursions as China flexes its muscles along dozens of disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea.

China's growing assertiveness has already alarmed the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimants. It has also increased U.S.-China tensions, with the two heavyweights trading accusations of militarizing the vital waterways through which some $5 trillion in trade passes each year.

But heralding its "special relationship" with China, and heavily reliant on trade and investment, Malaysia's previous responses to China's activity in the region have been described by Western diplomats as "low-key".

It downplayed two naval exercises conducted by China in 2013 and 2014 at James Shoal, less than 50 nautical miles off Sarawak. And in 2015, concerns raised by Malaysian fishermen in Miri about alleged bullying by armed men aboard Chinese Coast Guard vessels were largely ignored.

FISHING FRACAS

But when scores of Chinese fishing boats were spotted in March encroaching near South Luconia Shoals, a rich fishing ground south of the disputed Spratly Islands, Malaysia sent its navy and uncharacteristically summoned China's ambassador to explain the incident.

China's foreign ministry downplayed the matter, saying its trawlers were carrying out normal fishing activities in "relevant waters".

Just a couple of weeks later, Malaysia announced plans to set up a naval forward operating base near Bintulu, south of Miri...

source: Reuters. http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0YM2SV

You see how desperate the west media try to add in their words and lie to the world..

http://english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/china-military-news/2016-05/25/content_7072002.htm

Oh yes, Malaysia Chief of Navy visit CV-16 Laoning with warm ties. If Malaysia want harder response, they will not even bother such visit in the first place. 3 years old kid can also understand the situation. :enjoy:

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...vestment-embattled-1mdb-throw-malaysian-prime

And the Malaysia will thank China for suporting 1 MDB. Any hostile to Chinese will mean all such investment withdraw. I trust the wisdom of Malaysian state. :enjoy:

William are you Chinese?
He is a bitter Pinoy! :enjoy:
 
"中国的敌人太多了。我们是不是应该移民外星,毁灭地球" <= What is this mean?
 
"中国的敌人太多了。我们是不是应该移民外星,毁灭地球" <= What is this mean?

it means the we're too many enemies, we will have alliance with Aliens against our enemies on earth :rofl::rofl::rofl:

“We do not make trouble, but we have no fear of trouble,” Sun told the Shangri-La Dialogue, where more than 600 security, military and government delegates had gathered over three days.

“China will not bear the consequences, nor will it allow any infringement on its sovereignty and security interest, or stay indifferent to some countries creating chaos in the South China Sea.”

Strong enemy will only understand a strong words, well said Admiral Sun
 
Sun rejected the prospect of isolation, saying many of the Asian countries present at the Shangri-La Dialogue were “warmer” and “friendlier” to China than a year ago. China had 17 bilateral meetings this year, compared with 13 in 2015.

“We were not isolated in the past, we are not isolated now and we will not be isolated in the future,” Sun said.
.
For many countries in the world, China is their biggest or second biggest trading/economic partner. Any country trying to isolate China is asking for economic suicide. The economic damage to China is minimal, but the damage to themselves is far greater. That's the reason why smart ASEAN countries and South Korea prefer bilateral dialogue rather than sable rattling no matter how hard US is trying to provoke them. Obama had a recent meeting with ASEAN leaders in California but US must be very disappointed that there was no communique issued to condemn China.
All the same, the ASEAN leaders enjoyed a nice holiday in California, lol.

“Actually I am worried that some people and countries are still looking at China with the Cold War mentality and prejudice. They may build a wall in their minds and end up isolating themselves.”
.
LOL. Admiral Sun has a good point and also a sense of humor.

On the upcoming decision by the international tribunal in The Hague in the case brought by the Philippines to contest China’s claims in the territory, Sun reiterated Beijing does not recognise the court’s authority.
.
China has the right not to participate in arbitration under a clause in UNCLOS. However, the lawyers and judges are happy to go ahead because they get paid. The longer this drags on, the more they are paid. You know how lawyers are. I believe the Philippines are paying for this.

----

Starting today, the US and China are having their Strategic & Economic Dialogue in Beijing. This is where the real horse-trading takes place between the G2. I have no doubt that pawns (i.e. Philippines, Vietnam, Japan and Taiwan) would be sacrificed if they are no longer of any use. As Singapore's veteran diplomat, Mr Bilahari Kausikan notes, small countries would "pay the price" when big countries reach an agreement. Think Taiwan in the 1970s, when it was at the losing end of Sino-American rapprochement.
 
Problem of navigation freedom in South China Sea "pseudo-proposition": China
Source: Xinhua | 2016-06-05 22:46:57 | Editor: Tian Shaohui

BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman on Sunday said the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea has never been a problem.

China respects and supports such freedom enjoyed by all countries in accordance with international law, and has made great efforts in safeguarding the freedom with other countries in the region, Hua Chunying said in a press release.

She made the remarks in response to reports of some worries over the "freedom of navigation and overflight" in the South China Sea, expressed during the 15th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

Hua called the so-called problem of the navigation and overflight freedom a "pseudo-proposition" because there has never been a problem.

She said that the real intention of certain countries to hype up the topic is to sow dissension among countries in the region and create an excuse for political and military engagement in the South China Sea issue.

Safeguarding the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea is not only the requirement of international law, but also in line with China's fundamental interests, she said, adding that China will unswervingly ensure it.

"We hope those certain countries will stop disturbing regional safety and stability in the name of safeguarding the right of the navigation freedom," Hua said.
 
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