China has again warned its adversaries to keep away from the South China Sea dispute, saying it could be disastrous if the navy of any foreign country carries out secret patrolling of the sea.
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The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force conducted a combat air patrol in the South China Sea recently, which will become a “regular” practice in the future, said a military spokesperson on Monday. “Efforts to force us to succumb to pressure will only be counterproductive”.
Images of the overflight were originally posted to the Chinese Air Force’s official weibo account Friday.
China will not halt the construction of islands and reefs in the South China Sea, the country’s navy chief said yesterday, as Beijing announced new military drills in the disputed waters after an worldwide tribunal ruled against its sweeping claims.
China kicked off a PR blitz Monday, sponsoring journalists around Southeast Asia to attend a South China Sea seminar it co-hosted with a university in Singapore, slamming the U.S. for hyping up maritime disputes to sabotage its strengthening ties with Asean members.
Almost a week after losing a historic case over its territorial claims in the South China Sea, China is closing off part of the region for military drills this week. In November, it flew B-52 strategic bombers over the Spratly chain, where China maintains three military-grade airfields. “Not just to Philippine national security, but also to the economy, and of course the overall peace and stability of the region”, said De Borja.
On Monday, Beijing also stated that it would not halt the construction on islands and reefs in the South China Sea, state news agency Xinhua reported the head of the country’s navy as saying, adding that China will not leave the outcropping that is under construction and half finished.
When the tribunal issued its decision, Duterte’s government purposely avoided any high-profile celebration to avoid antagonizing China, which refused to take part in the process and declared the tribunal’s ruling “null and void”.
“We will never stop our construction on the Nansha Islands halfway. the Nansha Islands are China’s inherent territory, and our necessary construction on the islands is reasonable, justified and lawful”, Wu said. “Given the responsibilities that our navies have, we must work together and speak candidly – when we agree as well as when we have differing opinions”. While these exercises will end on Thursday, Beijing has stressed that no civilian vessels are permitted in the area until the drills are complete.
“While China’s military drills have become a regular routine … they will also serve as a warning and active defence against U.S. aggression”, Li said. “We really covered the entire spectrum of our relationship – from those areas where our cooperation and collaboration is doing very well, such as participation in RIMPAC, areas such as port visits, areas such as use of the CUES arrangement to regulate our encounters at sea and keep them safe and professional”, Richardson said in an audio statement distributed by the Navy.
“I think what is going on here is public opinion management”, he said.
The ruling, which was welcomed by the US and other countries, invalidated China’s sprawling territorial claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, regarded as the constitution governing the use of the world’s oceans.
He expected the USA to resume freedom of navigation operations after Richardson’s visit.
China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.
China claims the largest portion of territory, which they defined as the “nine-dash line”.
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In Hanoi, about 20 people were detained yesterday while protesting against China’s rejection of the global tribunal’s decision.
