Salmon said that following last week’s landmark arbitral tribunal decision on the maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea, China has already signaled its refusal to comply with the ruling, scorning global law and rejecting binding and peaceful dispute resolution. “What makes Scarborough Shoal exceptional?”
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China has been in an ongoing dispute with Asian countries like the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam over the “Spratly Islands” and the waterways around them.
A combat air patrol was mounted over the sea recently and these would become a regular practice in future, an air force spokesman said separately. The Panel makes it clear that China has gone well beyond worldwide conventions and laws in its actions in the South China Sea. “Tribunal decision non-negotiable”, he added.
While pointing to the cynicism and hypocrisy of United States actions, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime is playing directly into Washington’s hands by resorting to its own reckless military measures that only heighten the danger of conflict.
“Every reef they’ve seized they’ve made into an island”, he said.
Japan, the US and others backed the arbitration process and have urged all parties to respect the ruling. China had asked the leaders not to discuss the ruling, but the matter was frequently addressed.
“We are not yet engaged in bilateral talks with anyone”, Yasay said. Mindful of the historic tensions between rising and dominant powers, and with Sino-Japanese frictions in the East China Sea simmering in the background, it is understandable how China might view America’s containment strategy as all the more threatening – thereby justifying a counter-response of its own.
“The US’ interference is not conducive to regional peace, stability and development”, Hou said.
Over the past six months, the U.S. has rapidly implemented its military basing agreement with the Philippines, known as the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
On Friday, the same day as the bomber overflight, four Chinese Coast Guard vessels blocked Filipino fishermen from accessing Scarborough waters.
In the long term, Yasay said Manila had not ruled out the possibility of giving China a role as a contractor when the government moves to exploit the resources, including natural gas, in its exclusive economic zone. The softer approach, adopted by new Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, runs in stark contrast to the rancor that characterized relations between China and the Philippines under his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III. The People’s Liberation Army Navy, which has no operational aircraft carrier, is not expected to prevail in any naval conflict against the Americans in the South China Sea.
Wu said Beijing would not be intimated over the issue, adding: “Any attempt to force China to give in through flexing military muscles will only have the opposite effect”.
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Mr Zhang said that the latest drills are not targeted at any particular country and is merely a demonstration to other countries that have “tried to intimidate” China.
