U.S. warships sail near South China Sea islands claimed by Beijing

[Rogue Valley]

U.S. warships sail near South China Sea islands claimed by Beijing

USS Antietam (CG-54)

Reuters
5/27/18

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China on Sunday, two U.S. officials told Reuters, in a move that drew condemnation from Beijing as President Donald Trump seeks its continued cooperation on North Korea. The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters. While this operation had been planned months in advance, and similar operations have become routine, it comes at a particularly sensitive time and just days after the Pentagon uninvited China from a major U.S.-hosted naval drill. The U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Higgins guided-missile destroyer and the Antietam, a guided-missile cruiser, came within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands, among a string of islets, reefs and shoals over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbors. The U.S. military vessels carried out maneuvering operations near Tree, Lincoln, Triton and Woody islands in the Paracels, one of the officials said.

Satellite photographs taken on May 12 showed China appeared to have deployed truck-mounted surface-to-air missiles or anti-ship cruise missiles at Woody Island. Earlier this month, China’s air force landed bombers on disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the region, triggering concern from Vietnam and the Philippines. China’s Defense Ministry expressed its anger, saying it had sent ships and aircraft to warn the U.S. warships to leave, saying they had entered the country’s territorial waters without permission. The move “contravened Chinese and relevant international law, seriously infringed upon Chinese sovereignty (and) harmed strategic mutual trust between the two militaries,” it said. In a separate statement, China’s Foreign Ministry urged the United States to stop such actions. China’s claims in the South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in shipborne trade passes each year, are contested by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. “We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future,” U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement. The United States has said it would like to see more international participation in freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea.

China claims sovereignty over all waters and lands within its self-styled '9 Dash Line'.

 

[Rexedgar]

North of China’s eastern 9-dash line lies Taiwan. When does China make a move in that direction?

 

[DaveFagan]

Makes sense. Looks the same as the Gulf of Mexico.
/

 

[rocket88]

North of China’s eastern 9-dash line lies Taiwan. When does China make a move in that direction?

They've always claimed Taiwan. To be fair, the government in Taiwan claims all of the mainland (as well as parts of Russia). They both agree that Taiwan is part of China, the dispute is over who the legitimate government.

 

[Rogue Valley]

China Has Dispatched Warships to Challenge U.S. Vessels Sailing Near Disputed Islands

Beijing can saber-rattle all she wants. It's not going to scare away the US Navy from international waters.

 

[Bum]

Makes sense. Looks the same as the Gulf of Mexico.
/

Um...no.

You do not get a gold star for this test.

 

[jbi]

They've always claimed Taiwan. To be fair, the government in Taiwan claims all of the mainland (as well as parts of Russia). They both agree that Taiwan is part of China, the dispute is over who the legitimate government.

Most people don't realize Taiwan also claims the Spratly and Paracel Islands as well.

That U-shaped line was actually laid out by the Republic of China back in the 1940's and the claim is maintained by the current Taiwanese government today.

 

[braindrain]

Um...no.

You do not get a gold star for this test.

View attachment 67233565

View attachment 67233564

He doesn't really care about the truth. He only cares about attacking the US and parroting Russian propaganda

 

[Tangmo]

They've always claimed Taiwan. To be fair, the government in Taiwan claims all of the mainland (as well as parts of Russia). They both agree that Taiwan is part of China, the dispute is over who the legitimate government.

The present government of Taiwan, which is the Democratic Progressive Party, has never signed on to the One China notion. DPP will never will accept One China as it currently exists.

It's the first time Taiwan has elected the DPP to both the presidency and the majority control of the legislature (which is unicameral). Beijing has been flying bombers and fighter jets off Taiwan to express its upset, however, Beijing has not entered Taiwan airspace in any of its many flights during the past two years.

The Guomintang Party which until 2002 had dominated Taiwan governments signed on to the One China Agreement in 1992. Gurmintang Party accepts the One China notion. The DPP does not. DPP had elected a president twice during the 00 years of this century but hadn't ever had control of the legislature at any time. Now DPP controls both....


Tsai lauds military after joint exercise

Sat, Apr 14, 2018

President Tsai Ing-wen, center, observes a joint military exercise from the destroyer Keelung in waters off Yilan County yesterday.Apr 14, 2018
Photo: CNA, Courtesy of the Military News Agency


President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday praised a military drill she observed in waters off eastern Taiwan and denied she was trying to upstage Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) as China prepares to hold military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

“The military has done a great job in the joint exercise, in which it has fully demonstrated its capabilities to conduct asymmetric warfare and gain naval supremacy [in the Taiwan Strait]. It was impressive,” Tsai said after the drill.

Tsai boarded the Kidd-class destroyer Keelung at Chungcheng Base (中正基地) in Yilan County’s Suao (蘇澳) and sailed to watch the offshore combat readiness exercise involving the three branches of the military.

A navy Chi Yang-class frigate takes part in a joint exercise in waters off Yilan County’s Suao yesterday.Apr 14, 2018


During yesterday’s drill, held to test the nation’s combat readiness and rapid response capabilities, the military simulated a response to invading forces attempting to seize Taiwan’s major sea ports through air and naval attacks.

The navy dispatched 20 vessels in coordination with eight air force F-16s and 2,500 army troops in a joint sea-and-air exercise to repel the simulated attacks.

Tsai lauds military after joint exercise - Taipei Times


CCP Dictator-Tyrants are making military moves against Taiwan too. However, the American Institute in Taiwan which just built a new and bigger building and campus in Taipei continues to be staffed by USA Foreign Service officers and is headed by a USA Taiwan expert. Most of Trump's China advisers want the US to announce diplomatic recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state to include John Bolton and the trade council chairman Peter Navarro. Xi Jinpingpong and the Boyz in Beijing have become very very nervous.

 

[Rogue Valley]

China claims sovereignty over all waters and lands within its self-styled '9 Dash Line'.

Xinhua
2 August 2017

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan has warned of offshore security threats and called for substantial preparation for a "people's war at sea" to safeguard sovereignty. Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan has warned of offshore security threats and called for substantial preparation for a "people's war at sea" to safeguard sovereignty. Chang was speaking during an inspection of national defense work in coastal regions of east China's Zhejiang Province. He called for recognition of the seriousness of the national security situation, especially the threat from the sea. Chang said the military, police and people should prepare for mobilization to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He called for recognition of the seriousness of the national security situation, especially the threat from the sea. Chang said the military, police and people should prepare for mobilization to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also asked to promote national defense education among the public.

Since this proclamation by the Chinese Defense Minister last year, Chinese authorities have doubled down on the notion that regardless of the adverse ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea / UNCLOS), China must be prepared to go to war to defend their [9 Dash Line] claims on the South China Sea. They have drummed this message into the psyche of the military, the police, and the populace. Their 'soft-power' approach, harassing actions against the US Navy by Chinese Coast Guard vessels and Chinese fishing ships (who follow the orders of the CGC), has not produced the desired results. The only stick left now is the 'hard-power' military stick. Frankly, I don't see how the Chinese leadership can back away. They have painted themselves into a corner on this issue. Time will tell I suppose.

 

[Casper]

North of China’s eastern 9-dash line lies Taiwan. When does China make a move in that direction?

Wait for it, it will come there goes the country of Taiwan.

 

[Tangmo]

Since this proclamation by the Chinese Defense Minister last year, Chinese authorities have doubled down on the notion that regardless of the adverse ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (upholding the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea / UNCLOS), China must be prepared to go to war to defend their [9 Dash Line] claims on the South China Sea. They have drummed this message into the psyche of the military, the police, and the populace. Their 'soft-power' approach, harassing actions against the US Navy by Chinese Coast Guard vessels and Chinese fishing ships (who follow the orders of the CGC), has not produced the desired results. The only stick left now is the 'hard-power' military stick. Frankly, I don't see how the Chinese leadership can back away. They have painted themselves into a corner on this issue. Time will tell I suppose.

Boys in Beijing don't have dominance over the US or control over the US of either the sea or the air over and around the sea. The Boyz know this. They might fire a missile across the bow of a SCS neighbor country's boat or ship to make their point but there won't be any "people's war" against the United States by the People's Republic in the SCS -- or the East Sea. Not a chance of it, no.

We see the article you quote is in Xinhua which are the official and premier CCP news pimps. This is significant in itself as such hawkish statements usually come only from the PLA dominated Global Times rather than from the party poopsheet. Yet we see from the garbled text that the party poopers at Xinhua disagree. Which means the Central Committee disagrees. Which is why the article is a mess. Which is why we've heard nothing of it since that goes beyond the usual Chinese sovereignty blurp blurp.

Moreover, right around the time the article appeared in August 2017 SecDef James Mattis had become commander in chief of US forces in the SCS -- in effect. Potus Trump got busy elsewhere so he left SCS matters with Mattis. In their entirety. Mattis took Obama's sometimes and unannounced FON ops and made a public regular schedule of 'em that he had delivered to Beijing. Mattis added a guided missile cruiser to accompany Obama's one single destroyer missions. Mattis put the two ships to maneuvers inside 12 miles of the CCP islands rather than just a straight sail through as OB had done. Mattis activated equipment on the FON ships in contrast to OB who turned off all equipment. The difference is that equipment turned off is innocent passage while equipment turned on says don't **** with us. Mattis means to keep the peace and he will do just that. Any breach of the peace will be quick and decisive which means the Boyz will get splashed. Very wet.

 

[jbi]

Both sides wish to avoid conflict as China intends to exert the majority of it's influence through economic pressure and soft power.

China will push as far as it can without provoking a military response... the heavy militarization allows it to push harder as it knows the stakes become more unpalatable for adversaries.

Military action would undermine trust and impact on GDP growth, but most importantly would introduce uncertainty.

As long as the Chinese see a clear path forward... that is continued GDP growth, a rise in living standards, increased influence on the surrounding region and on the world stage (face) and a rapidly expanding infrastructure network (belt and road) , military action is not perceived as necessary.. indeed it is to be avoided at all costs.

 

[Rogue Valley]

British Navy and French military to INFURIATE China by launching South China Sea mission

China's Navy in the South China Sea

6/5/18

British and French ships and naval aircraft will make their way through the South China Sea next week, French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parley, said on Sunday. The boats will sail into areas of international waters where China’s navy is expected to be. The People’s Liberation Army Navy is the world’s fastest growing navy. Ms Parley said on Sunday: “At some point a stern voice intrudes into the transponder and tells us to sail away from supposedly ‘territorial waters’. “But our commander then calmly replies the he will sail forth, because these, under international law, are indeed international waters.” She went as far as saying that the French Navy "should broaden this effort even further." Lots of countries in the area have tried to stake claim on areas of the waters, including China, Taiwan, Brunei and Indonesia. Tensions over the contested waters have risen in recent years. France and the UK’s involvement would make them the latest two countries to wade into the conflict. Ms Parley also accused China of “intimidation”.

Xi isn't going to be a happy camper about this development.