A former commander of US forces in the Pacific says the USA should be willing to use military force to oppose Chinese aggression at a disputed reef off the coast of the Philippines. Many Chinese scholars believe that after the final award, the issue will gradually cool down and if there are no big moves from Manila, Washington and Tokyo, the case will ‘literally become nothing but a piece of paper’.
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Chinese state media reported that two Chinese civilian aircraft on Wednesday landed successfully on two newly built airstrips on Mischief and Subi reefs.
“India’s own record in this regard is also well known”, he said.
Just before the ruling, Vietnam accused the Chinese coastguard of sinking one of its fishing boats off the coast of central Vietnam.
“We will only be completely happy if the Chinese will leave the Scarborough Shoal”, said Legaspi.
Despite U.S. pressure on the European Union to take a stand on the issue, the bloc has so far been unable to agree a common statement, leaving diplomats to argue over the wording acceptable to all 28 member states.
“What they’re doing is bad because it shows as if there is no law”, Lim told The Associated Press by telephone.
With the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) verdict going against China, there are apprehensions in several quarters of Beijing undertaking some unilateral action, without considering the interests of other nations, whose economy is linked to the movements through the South China Sea and overhead flights.
In another development, Chinese military has announced three-month-long exercises simulating real battle scenarios, amid South China Sea tensions over worldwide tribunal’s verdict.
Kurt Campbell, former top US diplomat for East Asia and now an adviser on Asia policy for the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, said, “I think over time China will start to adjust its position, because they will realize it’s not in their best strategic interests”. But the 88-year-old hinted he might not accept the offer, citing his age and other commitments. “But I can do the job, however, I have bigger commitments in terms of peace in the world and sustainable development”.
“Australia should not treat the illegal ruling from an illegal arbitration court as global law”. In particular, since the ruling was such a sweeping rebuke against China, the focus, they say, should be on trying to reassure Beijing and give it the space it needs to adopt a more restrained course.
Fitch said the South China Sea dispute, along with the East China Sea row between Japan and China, the cross-strait relations between Taiwan and the mainland and North Korea-related issues were causing geopolitical tensions in the region.
Vietnam Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh demanded Beijing cease actions that complicate the situation.
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The tribunal also condemned China for its harassment of Filipino fishermen in areas well outside its territorial waters, and for severely damaging the environment in its construction of man-made islands and potential military bases on partially submerged outcrops.
