South China sea

[727Sky]

From everything I have read about the new President of the Philippines he is some kind of character or is being character assassinated ? 
http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/patric...-worth-war

Is Scarborough Shoal Worth a War?
By Patrick J. Buchanan | May 24, 2016 | 9:45 AM EDT
In this May 11, 2015, file photo, this aerial photo taken through a glass window of a military plane shows China’s alleged on-going reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. (AP Photo/Ritchie B. Tongo)
If China begins to reclaim and militarize Scarborough Shoal, says Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino III, America must fight.
Should we back down, says Aquino, the United States will lose "its moral ascendancy, and also the confidence of one of its allies."
And what is Scarborough Shoal?
A cluster of rocks and reefs, 123 miles west of Subic Bay, that sits astride the passageway out of the South China Sea into the Pacific, and is well within Manila's 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
Beijing and Manila both claim Scarborough Shoal. But, in June 2013, Chinese ships swarmed and chased off a fleet of Filipino fishing boats and naval vessels. The Filipinos never came back.
And now that China has converted Fiery Cross Reef and Mischief Reef into artificial islands with docks and air bases, Beijing seems about to do the same with Scarborough Shoal.
"Scarborough is a red line," says Gregory Poling of the Center for Strategic and International studies. To allow China to occupy and militarize the reef "would clearly change the balance of power."
Really? But before concluding that we must fight to keep China from turning Scarborough Shoal into an island base, there are other considerations.
High among them is that the incoming president of the Philippines, starting June 30, is Rodrigo Duterte, no admirer of America, and a populist authoritarian thug who, as Mayor of Davao, presided over the extrajudicial killing of some 1,000 criminals during the 1990s.
Duterte, who has charged Aquino with treason for abandoning Scarborough Shoal, once offered to set aside his country's claim in exchange for a Chinese-built railroad, then said he might take a jet ski to the reef to assert Manila's rights, plant a flag and let himself be executed to become a national hero.
In a clash with China, this character would be our ally.

[Sol]

I have friends that are Filipino and they call the new President "Dirty Harry".

He was mayor of a city where he eradicated corruption, he basically 'cleaned' the city, the hard way.

He's very much compared with Trump as he doesn't mince with words and he calls a spade a spade.

This new President doesn't screw around. Everyone should keep an eye on him...

[727Sky]

I have friends that are Filipino and they call the new President "Dirty Harry".

He was mayor of a city where he eradicated corruption, he basically 'cleaned' the city, the hard way.

He's very much compared with Trump as he doesn't mince with words and he calls a spade a spade.

This new President doesn't screw around. Everyone should keep an eye on him...

That is what I have heard also. Seems more and more (hopefully) new leaders are coming along to shake up the old guard.

[727Sky]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ma...pacific-us
China to send nuclear-armed submarines into Pacific amid tensions

[/url]

A Chinese navy submarine. China has been working on ballistic missile submarine technology for more than three decades. Photograph: Guang Niu/Getty Images
Julian Borger World affairs editor
Thursday 26 May 2016 00.26 EDT Last modified on Thursday 26 May 2016 06.43 EDT

•  

The Chinese military is poised to send submarines armed with nuclear missiles into the Pacific Ocean for the first time, arguing that new US weapons systems have so undermined Beijing’s existing deterrent force that it has been left with no alternative.
Chinese military officials are not commenting on the timing of a maiden patrol, but insist the move is inevitable.
They point to plans unveiled in March to station the US Thaad anti-ballistic system in South Korea, and the development of hypersonic glide missiles potentially capable of hitting China less than an hour after launch, as huge threats to the effectiveness of its land-based deterrent force.
A recent Pentagon report to Congress predicted that “China will probably conduct its first nuclear deterrence patrol sometime in 2016”, though top US officers have made such predictions before.

Little blue men: the maritime militias pushing China's claims

Read more

[url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/china]China has been working on ballistic missile submarine technology for more than three decades, but actual deployment has been put off by technical failures, institutional rivalry and policy decisions.
Until now, Beijing has pursued a cautious deterrence policy, declaring it would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict and storing its warheads and its missiles separately, both strictly under the control of the top leadership.
Deploying nuclear-armed submarines would have far-reaching implications.
Warheads and missiles would be put together and handed over to the navy, allowing a nuclear weapon to be launched much faster if such a decision was taken. The start of Chinese missile patrols could further destabilise the already tense strategic standoff with the US in the South China Sea.
Last Tuesday, a US spy plane and two Chinese fighter jets came close to colliding 50 miles of Hainan island, where China’s four Jin-Class ballistic missile submarines are based. A fifth is under construction.

[727Sky]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/A...0-08-46-25

BEIJING (AP) -- China on Monday lashed out at criticism from U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, accusing him of harboring a Cold War mentality and saying Beijing has no interest in "playing a role in a Hollywood movie" of Washington's design.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters Carter's comment last week that China was creating a "Great Wall of self-isolation" was merely an attempt to provide cover for U.S. plans to deploy additional military forces to the Asia-Pacific region.
Carter's remarks "laid bare the stereotypical U.S. thinking and U.S. hegemony," Hua said at a daily news briefing.
"Indeed, there are some in the U.S. who live physically in the 21st century, but whose minds are stuck in the in the Cold War era," she said.
"China has no interest in any form of Cold War, nor are we interested in playing a role in a Hollywood movie written and directed by certain U.S. military officials. However, China has no fear of and will counter any actions that threaten and undermine China's sovereignty and security," Hua said.
In a commencement speech Friday at the U.S. Naval Academy, Carter said China wants and enjoys the benefits of free trade and a free internet, but sometimes chooses to restrict both. He said the U.S. also continues to be concerned about Beijing's actions in the disputed South China Sea, where Beijing has sought to strengthen its claim to almost the entire region by building new islands atop coral outcroppings and adding airstrips, harbors and military infrastructure.
The United States is committed to upholding the freedom of navigation and commerce, and peaceful resolution of disputes, Carter said.

Of course much of this is political posturing however the Island building by China (Think cheaper longer lasting aircraft carrier) Has put the whole notion of freedom of the seas in question for many countries in the area.

Unless China started invading Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Thailand we will be in a better position than many if a real shooting war were to start. Hopefully that can be averted...

China is trying for territorial claims that have no basis in the "law of the seas" which is recognized by international agreements by all except maybe pirates with visions of grandeur. Problem... the more talk, the more both sides are digging in... Now whoever backs off will lose much face and international standing.

It really is a bad situation which China is forcing and America and many others cannot ignore...... IMO.

[727Sky]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/ma...pacific-us
China to send nuclear-armed submarines into Pacific amid tensions

[/url]

A Chinese navy submarine. China has been working on ballistic missile submarine technology for more than three decades. Photograph: Guang Niu/Getty Images
Julian Borger World affairs editor
Thursday 26 May 2016 00.26 EDT Last modified on Thursday 26 May 2016 06.43 EDT

•  

The Chinese military is poised to send submarines armed with nuclear missiles into the Pacific Ocean for the first time, arguing that new US weapons systems have so undermined Beijing’s existing deterrent force that it has been left with no alternative.
Chinese military officials are not commenting on the timing of a maiden patrol, but insist the move is inevitable.
They point to plans unveiled in March to station the US Thaad anti-ballistic system in South Korea, and the development of hypersonic glide missiles potentially capable of hitting China less than an hour after launch, as huge threats to the effectiveness of its land-based deterrent force.
A recent Pentagon report to Congress predicted that “China will probably conduct its first nuclear deterrence patrol sometime in 2016”, though top US officers have made such predictions before.

Little blue men: the maritime militias pushing China's claims

Read more

[url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/china]China has been working on ballistic missile submarine technology for more than three decades, but actual deployment has been put off by technical failures, institutional rivalry and policy decisions.
Until now, Beijing has pursued a cautious deterrence policy, declaring it would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict and storing its warheads and its missiles separately, both strictly under the control of the top leadership.
Deploying nuclear-armed submarines would have far-reaching implications.
Warheads and missiles would be put together and handed over to the navy, allowing a nuclear weapon to be launched much faster if such a decision was taken. The start of Chinese missile patrols could further destabilise the already tense strategic standoff with the US in the South China Sea.
Last Tuesday, a US spy plane and two Chinese fighter jets came close to colliding 50 miles of Hainan island, where China’s four Jin-Class ballistic missile submarines are based. A fifth is under construction.

[727Sky]

China is not a bunch of sand people who are easily pushed around.

[guohua]

Very, Very Good Video.
I have to agree, China will not be Pushed Around and has every intention of Becoming A Military World Power.

[727Sky]

http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0622/c90000-9075995.html

English>>
Commentary: U.S. display of military power act of hegemony
By Zhong Sheng (People's Daily Online)    16:50, June 22, 2016
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（File Photo）
Two American aircraft carriers conducted practice drills in the waters not far from the coast of the Philippines islands in recent days. John M. Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations let it be known on June 20 during a meeting at the Center for a New American Security that it was not at all ordinary for the United States to dispatch two aircraft carriers to one single ocean region, and that it represents the commitment of the U.S. to maintain security in this region, and that it also serves as “deterrence” for related countries.
Conveying a so-called message about security through the exhibition of military might, and furthermore describing the events as an act of deterrence is something that the U.S. has done far too many times. Regardless of how many times it may have gone smoothly in other parts of the world the U.S. has chosen the wrong opponent by selecting China for this type of game. Behind all of this is lack of patience and brassy moves and it also reveals a nature of hegemony beneath the surface.
Statements from high ranking officials in the U.S. military as well as the aircraft carrier drills themselves once again demonstrate that the U.S. is definitely not a regional security safeguard, and instead precisely a trouble maker. In the regard of the South China Sea issue, the U.S. is playing an extremely destructive role.
For a period of time, the U.S., by making what appears to be a show being very much in earnest to advertise militarization dangers in the South China Sea is putting the hat that balances regional peace and stability onto China’s head in a sly manner . Yet in reality, what people see is that the U.S. aircraft carriers have arrived, that the U.S. strategic bombers have arrived, that the U.S. guided missile destroyers sailing with a flag representing “freedom of navigation” have not only approached near to Chinese islands, the Americans together with allies have conducted military drills one after another, so the question is who is promoting the militarization of the South China Sea, who is trying to turn the South China Sea into a gunpowder bucket?
The United States is a country outside the territory of the South China Sea, coming from one side of the Pacific Ocean all the way to the other side of the Pacific Ocean to demonstrate their military power is for the purpose of intensifying the situation and to provoke disturbances and break peaceful stability and then to fish in troubled water and make an effort to maintain hegemony thereat at all costs. This deceitful business is despised in the regard of international law, and it is also harmful to the security benefits of the country.
The U.S. once indicated that it would guarantee to China that it would not take sides regarding South China Sea matters. However, the aforementioned behaviors conducted by the U.S. military indicate that it was false, and also allow people to see clearly that the origin of disputes in the South China Sea is the desired provocation on the behalf of the U.S.
In the regard of the South China Sea issue, China’s will to maintain national sovereignty and territorial integrity is as solid as a boulder. If it is not China’s then we don’t need a single piece of it, but if there is a piece of land that is supposed to be China’s then it must be maintained. Any person should not have dreams or fantasies about this.
China will continue to maintain strict supervision of the sea area conditions and will take appropriate measures should there be any incidences, and defend against the occurrence of situations that harm Chinese territorial sovereignty or security benefits. China’s will and actions equate to something that the U.S. should be clear about. China will not let other countries have their way with their temper or to act arbitrarily regardless of the rules in the regard of South China Sea stability. 
This article was edited and translated from 美国，炫耀武力就是搞霸权！source: People's Daily

[727Sky]

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/20...-2016.html
A South China Sea Explosion: Why China Might Go ‘Rogue’ on July 12, 2016

Harry J. Kazianis is a Senior Fellow for Defense Policy at the Center for the National Interest and Senior Editor for The National Interest magazine.  

If there ever was a time to follow the always action-packed South China Sea showdown, mark your calendar for July 12th.

Why this specific date? Well, that is the date the International Court of Arbitration has set to issue its ruling in the case of China vs. the Philippines. Most experts are of the collective mind that Beijing is likely to suffer some sort of negative outcome — an outcome they are already trying to distance themselves from.

But what will China do when the verdict is handed down and they likely lose in large measure, as is widely expected?

Beijing has several options — laid out below for your reading pleasure — and most are all bad not only for Asia as a whole, but especially so for Washington, considering it is a treaty ally of Manila and the only party with the capability to reign Beijing in if a crisis occurs:

1. The least likely option – China does nothing and de facto accepts the ruling: What if Beijing simply issues the standard boilerplate statement, declares the South China Sea essentially its sovereign waters, and moves on?

This isn’t a bad option on the surface — China could continue to build on its fake islands in the area, turning them into small military bases armed to the teeth with the latest “carrier-killer” anti-ship weapons, rotate in large amounts of the latest fighter and bomber aircraft and turn the South China Sea into the ultimate anti-access/area-denial zone (A2/AD). In this scenario, Beijing is vocal about its anger towards the ruling, but simply presses on with that it is already doing, which one can argue has been very effective in consolidating its claims.

Such a reaction, mild by Chinese standards these days, seems highly unlikely. Xi Jinping and company will be under tremendous pressure to respond — forcefully and very publicly. The same old strategy won’t apply anymore — many Chinese citizens will demand a tough response, a projection of strength that Beijing won’t be pushed around anymore by external forces in what can only be described as China’s sphere of influence in the South China Sea.

This leads to only two other possibilities — and they all could instigate a dangerous superpower showdown.

2. The most likely option – China declares an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ):

I would argue Beijing has been telegraphing this move for months now. In issuing statements or public comment when asked about the likelihood of such a declaration, most Chinese officials say something to the effect that while no ADIZ is planned at the moment, such a decision in the future would be based on the threat environment in the South China Sea — and I would argue a ruling against Beijing could be the basis to officially change their mind.

The rationale would be easy for Xi and senior leaders to justify in the official press: China would simply declare that it feels threatened by the ruling and that Beijing was simply “forced” into an ADIZ declaration based on the perceived wrongdoings of others and international pressure. And considering China has placed air-defense assets into the area and rotated in and out fighter aircraft, it would seem Beijing has at least a rough capability to make trouble — maybe declare such a zone, even it not completely enforceable, like in the East China Sea, but just a declaration would raise tensions dramatically. Such a zone, depending on its size and scope, could create a regional crisis drawing in parties from all over Asia. It would not be pretty to say the least — and Washington would have to respond, and not just by one or two B-52 flights either.

3. Another possible option – China goes rogue:

What if the deployment of an ADIZ was not enough in Beijing’s eyes and they wanted to press the issue as far as conceivably possible short of kinetic conflict? China could simply decide to press their weight in all of Asia’s flashpoints, essentially going rogue. For example:

– Beijing could increase dramatically the amount of air and naval patrols it conducts in the East China Sea — much to the anger of Japan. And while they are at it, why not start drilling for oil and natural gas in mass all over the area, beyond what is already causing great anxiety in Tokyo to begin with?

– China could decide to up the ante on Taiwan. President Xi could start cutting back dramatically the amount of tourists who come to the island. He could start slowing the amount of trade and investment that Taipei is now essentially dependent on. In fact, Xi has many possible points of pressure he could utilize to make Taiwan squirm — and he might find it very useful to change the conversation in Asia towards tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

– Maybe Beijing decides it’s time to reclaim Scarborough Shoal? This would be the most risky and controversial of moves — Washington seems to have signaled that it just might take some sort of action considering it has rotated assets like the A-10 Warthog and other aircraft in a show of force. However, what does America do if Chinese dredgers appear 150 or so miles off the Philippines coast and decide Scarborough is a great place for China’s next South China Sea military base?

Towards a South China Sea Showdown?

Considering the stakes, Asia watchers the world over will have a busy few days before and after July 12th ruling. Unfortunately for the region, what happens next could give birth to an even more tense situation in the South China Sea — and considering China’s options and what it easily has the capacity to do and has done just in the last few years to dramatically alter the status quo, it seems we are in for a tense filled couple of months.

nationalinterest.org

[guohua]

Be Leary My Friends, China has an Agenda, China has  a Goal.
China likes the idea of having an Agenda To Follow Through With and Accomplish.
They see themselves as an Up and Coming World Power To Be Recognized.

The Revolution Continues.

[guohua]

I'll give you some quotes from a Very, Very Influential Chinese Newspaper.

About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China's territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.
In joint editorials in its Chinese and English editions, the state-run Global Times said the dispute, having already been complicated by US intervention, now faces further escalation due to the threat posed by the tribunal to China's sovereignty.

"Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea, and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China's obedience," it said.

China should speed up developing its military deterrence abilities, the paper added.
"Even though China cannot keep up with the US militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the US pay a cost it cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force," it said.

You did catch the use of the Word Obedience!

The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, and while it is widely read in policy-making circles, it does not have the same mouthpiece function as its parent and its editorials cannot be viewed as representing government policy.
It is also well-known for its extreme nationalist views.
China, which has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea, will be holding military drills in the waters starting from Wednesday.
Link

[727Sky]

Thanks for posting that: China is conducting military exercises in the area until the 11th or 12th.. These next few days are a dangerous time for the whole area as things could get out of hand in a heart beat if the USA/others decides to enter the area..

[guohua]

As everyone may know, The Hauge did not Rule in China's Favor for the issue of the South China Sea.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- An international tribunal rejected China's extensive claims in the South China Sea in a landmark ruling Tuesday that also found the country had aggravated the seething regional dispute and violated the Philippines' maritime rights by building up artificial islands that destroyed coral reefs and by disrupting fishing and oil exploration.

While the decision is seen as a major legal declaration regarding one of the world's most contested regions, China immediately rejected it as a "farce" and the true impact is uncertain given the tribunal has no power of enforcement.
Source

The short video in the above article is good.
Now My Chinese Relatives and Old Employers aren't Happy and They intend to keep what they believe is their right.
 Our People and Ancestors have a Problem with this Being Embarrassed or Losing Face!
Now the way China's Leadership ( The Central Committee in Beijing ) as a Vast or Large American Conspiracy to Deny China its Ancestral Rights.   
They've even have their news agency's.

S. China Sea arbitration: A US-led conspiracy behind the farce
Since U.S. President Barack Obama took office, "Pivot to Asia" has become one of Washington's political pursuits and military strategies. The disputes between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, which was provoked by former Philippine President Aquino III, came just in time as it offered Washington a good excuse and easy approach to return to the region.
In January 2013, the Philippines unilaterally initiated arbitral proceedings on the South China Sea issue. To circumvent the law, it secretly changed relative concepts, deliberately separated the Nansha Islands, and asked the tribunal to issue an award over the legal status and maritime claims of some of the islands and reefs that belong to the Nansha Islands as a whole.
What Aquino III did was a clear violation of international law. However, Washington chose to ignore the facts and the law, giving full support to its flunkey in Asia without hesitation.
So, we can tell that Washington has taken sides from the very beginning. What has it done before and behind the curtain then? Generally, it took four kinds of actions.

Keep in mind, I was Raised to Believe China Owned The South China Sea, it is Part Of China, Part Of Our Ancestral Rights.

First, colluding with its allies to rubbish China.

Regarding the South China Sea arbitration, U.S. government officials and media have expressed many negative opinions of China, so as to portray Beijing as a "violator" of international order. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter used to say in public that China's activity in the South China Sea could lead to a "great wall of self-isolation." Japan, as an ally of Washington, was also active and enthusiastic in helping the U.S. to suppress China.

Second, showing off military force and putting pressure on China.

The U.S. has been stepping up military actions in the South China Sea recently. Particularly, in the middle of June, two U.S. aircraft carriers, the USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan, launched joint operations in the South China Sea, staging a show of force aimed at China.
In the meantime, Japan also launched joint military exercises with the Philippines and conducted arms sales with the latter, which is meant to put pressure on China. On July 8, Washington and Seoul jointly announced the deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) systems in South Korea, and the ulterior motive behind it was obvious enough.

Third, playing China and ASEAN countries off each other.
Chu Yin, a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization said that "the U.S. escalates the tensions in the South China Sea with an essential purpose of containing China." For the U.S., sabotaging the relations between China and ASEAN countries is an effective way to hinder China's development, apart from being a best solution with low cost and high efficiency to increase Southeast Asian countries' dependence on it.

Fourth, manipulating the international arbitration tribunal and complicating the South China Sea issues into a "dead knot."
Once the arbitration tribunal makes a verdict against China, it will amount to fulfilling the U.S. purpose, putting an end to the tranquility in the South China Sea. In that case, the prospects for China-Philippine disputes to get resolved peacefully will be reduced.
In addition, the United States has been calculating the timing and progress of the arbitration. Initially, the U.S. had the press leak the message that the arbitration result would be announced on July 7, making all involved parties tense. Later on June 29, the secretariat of arbitration tribunal said July 12 would be the date when the verdict on the concrete issues of the Philippine-led arbitration on the South China Sea would be made public.
The timing of the announcement totally reflected the U.S. calculations as June 30 was the date that the new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was to be sworn in. Picking this date to announce the verdict represents no more than a backing up of the new Philippine government, a move that the U.S. hopes will minimize the possible improvement between China-Philippine relations.
The U.S. actions near China, particularly those on the South China Sea issues, are part of its Asia-Pacific Rebalance strategies. Its intentions are no more than containing China to preserve its interests in the Asia-Pacific region and its global hegemony.
The U.S. motives are apparent to the world, especially to the Chinese people. The current China is nothing like the country it was one hundred years ago. Any act that tries to violate China's territorial sovereignty will fail.
The author is Editor-in-Chief of China.org.cn.

Source

Disturbing isn't it? I'm Chinese and I understand their Motive. China won't be Happy unless they are given what I say is theirs by Birthright.
China will fight.

[727Sky]

As everyone may know, The Hauge did not Rule in China's Favor for the issue of the South China Sea.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- An international tribunal rejected China's extensive claims in the South China Sea in a landmark ruling Tuesday that also found the country had aggravated the seething regional dispute and violated the Philippines' maritime rights by building up artificial islands that destroyed coral reefs and by disrupting fishing and oil exploration.

While the decision is seen as a major legal declaration regarding one of the world's most contested regions, China immediately rejected it as a "farce" and the true impact is uncertain given the tribunal has no power of enforcement.
Source

The short video in the above article is good.
Now My Chinese Relatives and Old Employers aren't Happy and They intend to keep what they believe is their right.
 Our People and Ancestors have a Problem with this Being Embarrassed or Losing Face!
Now the way China's Leadership ( The Central Committee in Beijing ) as a Vast or Large American Conspiracy to Deny China its Ancestral Rights.   
They've even have their news agency's.

S. China Sea arbitration: A US-led conspiracy behind the farce
Since U.S. President Barack Obama took office, "Pivot to Asia" has become one of Washington's political pursuits and military strategies. The disputes between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, which was provoked by former Philippine President Aquino III, came just in time as it offered Washington a good excuse and easy approach to return to the region.
In January 2013, the Philippines unilaterally initiated arbitral proceedings on the South China Sea issue. To circumvent the law, it secretly changed relative concepts, deliberately separated the Nansha Islands, and asked the tribunal to issue an award over the legal status and maritime claims of some of the islands and reefs that belong to the Nansha Islands as a whole.
What Aquino III did was a clear violation of international law. However, Washington chose to ignore the facts and the law, giving full support to its flunkey in Asia without hesitation.
So, we can tell that Washington has taken sides from the very beginning. What has it done before and behind the curtain then? Generally, it took four kinds of actions.

Keep in mind, I was Raised to Believe China Owned The South China Sea, it is Part Of China, Part Of Our Ancestral Rights.

First, colluding with its allies to rubbish China.

Regarding the South China Sea arbitration, U.S. government officials and media have expressed many negative opinions of China, so as to portray Beijing as a "violator" of international order. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter used to say in public that China's activity in the South China Sea could lead to a "great wall of self-isolation." Japan, as an ally of Washington, was also active and enthusiastic in helping the U.S. to suppress China.

Second, showing off military force and putting pressure on China.

The U.S. has been stepping up military actions in the South China Sea recently. Particularly, in the middle of June, two U.S. aircraft carriers, the USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan, launched joint operations in the South China Sea, staging a show of force aimed at China.
In the meantime, Japan also launched joint military exercises with the Philippines and conducted arms sales with the latter, which is meant to put pressure on China. On July 8, Washington and Seoul jointly announced the deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) systems in South Korea, and the ulterior motive behind it was obvious enough.

Third, playing China and ASEAN countries off each other.
Chu Yin, a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization said that "the U.S. escalates the tensions in the South China Sea with an essential purpose of containing China." For the U.S., sabotaging the relations between China and ASEAN countries is an effective way to hinder China's development, apart from being a best solution with low cost and high efficiency to increase Southeast Asian countries' dependence on it.

Fourth, manipulating the international arbitration tribunal and complicating the South China Sea issues into a "dead knot."
Once the arbitration tribunal makes a verdict against China, it will amount to fulfilling the U.S. purpose, putting an end to the tranquility in the South China Sea. In that case, the prospects for China-Philippine disputes to get resolved peacefully will be reduced.
In addition, the United States has been calculating the timing and progress of the arbitration. Initially, the U.S. had the press leak the message that the arbitration result would be announced on July 7, making all involved parties tense. Later on June 29, the secretariat of arbitration tribunal said July 12 would be the date when the verdict on the concrete issues of the Philippine-led arbitration on the South China Sea would be made public.
The timing of the announcement totally reflected the U.S. calculations as June 30 was the date that the new Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was to be sworn in. Picking this date to announce the verdict represents no more than a backing up of the new Philippine government, a move that the U.S. hopes will minimize the possible improvement between China-Philippine relations.
The U.S. actions near China, particularly those on the South China Sea issues, are part of its Asia-Pacific Rebalance strategies. Its intentions are no more than containing China to preserve its interests in the Asia-Pacific region and its global hegemony.
The U.S. motives are apparent to the world, especially to the Chinese people. The current China is nothing like the country it was one hundred years ago. Any act that tries to violate China's territorial sovereignty will fail.
The author is Editor-in-Chief of China.org.cn.

Source

Disturbing isn't it? I'm Chinese and I understand their Motive. China won't be Happy unless they are given what I say is theirs by Birthright.
China will fight.

As Mao once said, " All power comes from the barrel of a gun". Unfortunately the barrel is now a nuke. China has some missiles that can cause big problems for US carriers. Let us both hope it never goes that far !

[727Sky]

Very dramatic music in this video !

[727Sky]

http://www.businessinsider.com/china-sta...sea-2016-8

Well there is some more saber rattling in the south China sea only this time Australia in being warned. If I were to bet I would say if anything happens it will be in the South China sea and escalate from there. So far China has turned a hard face to anyone/country who has disputed their claims..

China’s state-run Global Times has published an editorial attacking Australia for supporting the recent international ruling on China’s activities in the South China Sea and called for strikes on any Australian ships which might undertake “freedom-of-navigation” activities in the region.

The editorial said Australia “is not even a ‘paper tiger’, it’s only a ‘paper cat’ at best”.

[Ninurta]

I have to admit to a nearly complete ignorance of the issues in the South China Sea, and Asia in almost it's entirety. My AoE is Central America, the Middle East, and to a lesser extent Eastern Europe.

So, someone, please enlighten me.

1) What does China base an" Ancestral claim" to the South China Sea on?

2) Why does International Law concerning territorial limits suddenly not apply to China, when it still applies to the rest of the world? Spratley Island is more than 3 times farther from China than any territorial limits I've been able to uncover in International Law.

3) If China can ignore International Law with impunity as it suits them, do I still have to abide by the Geneva Conventions? If so, why?

Now, "spheres of influence" I can live with, but actually claiming territory outside of one's territorial limits, not so much.

I've heard all my life of China's designs on annexing Australia, which would be pretty easy at this point I would think, since they have effectively disarmed their populace - the days of Ion Idreiss and his crazy ideas of repelling foreign invasion via guerrilla warfare are long gone. I probably wouldn't even lift a finger to defend Australia, considering they did it to themselves with the disarmament deal. I'd just like to know why I'm allowing China to claim everything west of the mid Pacific and east of the Russian border when they do, so I can tell my grand kids why it was a good idea to ignore international law.

I'd entertain the notion of settling a few Aussies here, though, should China annex the continent. They'd be a pretty good addition to the sort of folks I hang with here - they'd fit right in, and the ladies would swoon over the accent.

[guohua]

I guess it's because China has sailed and fished those waters for over 3500 years.
The sea has belonged to China since “ancient times” and that ancestors of today’s Chinese had significant control of land there. Yes, China’s strategic moves involving territory and the military or in other areas.
Truly it is about our Ancestors.

[guohua]

China is preparing for a Fast, Cruel and Short War.

The Chinese Navy held live-fire drills in the East China Sea on Monday, the Defense Ministry said in a short statement posted to its website.
The drills, the statement said, involved firing dozens of missiles and torpedoes and was aimed at bolstering “the assault intensity, precision, stability and speed of troops amid heavy electromagnetic influences,” an apparent reference to electronic warfare.
“An information technology-based war at sea is sudden, cruel and short, which requires fast transition to combat status, quick preparation and high assault efficiency,” the statement said.
The drill involved naval aviation forces, including submarines, ships and coast guard servicemen.

 Source