Adding to regional tensions are China’s criticisms of Japan’s new Defense Minister, Tomomi Inada, for allegedly refusing to admit Japan massacred Chinese civilians during World War II; South Korea’s alarm over recent missile launches by China’s feral client North Korea; and China’s objection to the installation of American anti-missile systems in South Korea to protect against North Korean threats.
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The Benfold’s visit is the first to China by an American warship since Beijing responded furiously to a Hague-based global arbitration tribunal’s ruling that its expansive South China Sea maritime claims had no basis in law.
“Ramos’ visit, which represents the first concrete step on the Philippine side to engage in bilateral talks with China on the South China Sea, could open a new chapter in settling disputes”, Xinhua said.
Evidence of the military hangars emerged a month after an global tribunal at The Hague, Netherlands, sharply rebuked China over its behavior in the South China Sea, including its assertion of expansive sovereignty and construction of artificial islands. A senior Foreign Ministry official said Sunday: “Such a large number of vessels rushing into the sea around the Senkaku Islands is unprecedented”.
The Japanese media reported that the nation is scared the radar could be a sign of China’s intentions to use the gas exploration platforms as military stations in the conflicted zone.
Relations between China and the Philippines were severely undermined when Manila took the South China Sea dispute to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, triggering furious reactions from Beijing. “I can assure you this is the basis of 42 years as a soldier and six years serving as a former Philippine president, that no one in the world wants World War III to happen except for some insane guys”, Mr. Ramos said. He will be accompanied by his wife, Amelita, his nephew Samuel Ramos Jones, his former interior secretary Rafael M. Alunan III, and former ABC News China bureau chief Chito Sta.
Australia should “carefully talk and cautiously behave” on the sensitive matter of the South China Sea, he said at a press briefing two weeks ago.
China has been sending air force aircraft to conduct “normalised” patrols over the disputed small islands in recent weeks.
On Monday, 15 such vessels sailed in the contiguous zone, the largest Chinese fleet ever to enter the area at the same time, according to the coast guard.
Farmer Hans Berekoven told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that while the Chinese ship did not directly intervene, it clearly was trying to make them leave. “We will closely watch China’s response”.
Dr Chong Ja Ian, an worldwide relations expert at the National University of Singapore, told TODAY the structures on the islands indicated China’s wish to reserve the right to deploy military assets on the features it controls in the Spratlys.
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“It’s not like the hangers are for mail planes, they are likely for jets”, the official said.
