Tag: South China Sea

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Beijing has grand plans for South China Sea

China’s claim to sovereignty over the South China Sea and its willingness and ability to pursue it has long been creating friction with countries in the area, which stake their own claims to parts of the sea…reports Asad Mirza

Ever since Communist China came into existence in 1949, its belligerence over South China Sea – SCS, has been increasing and some recent events have increased its hostility in the regional sea and towards its neighbour Taiwan. China claims almost all of the SCS covering roughly 3.5 million square kilometres, and its estimated 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 11 billion barrels of oil, in addition to maritime resources such as fish, as part of Chinese territory. Though the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague had firmly rejected China’s sovereignty claim in 2016 but even five years after that ruling, China continues to reject the court’s authority.

China’s covert activities in the SCS

In the International Law Studies journal of 2021, Vol. 97, Captain Raul Pedrozo, Professor of International Law at the US Naval War College says the term ‘sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China’ is not defined in the law and is purposely vague.

Recently China revised its Maritime Traffic Safety Law (MTSL), effective September 1, which requires certain foreign vessels sailing into Chinese “territorial waters” to notify Beijing in advance. Foreign vessels such as foreign submarines, nuclear-powered ships, ships carrying radioactive, toxic or hazardous materials and any other vessels that “may endanger the maritime traffic safety” of China are required to provide information including their ships’ names and numbers, recent locations, satellite telephone numbers and dangerous goods. “Article 2 of the MTSL expands application of the law from ‘coastal waters’ to ‘sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China”, which means the SCS.

US-Navy-warships-sailing-through-the-South-China-Sea-Photo-twitter@USNavy

In September 2021, the PLA air force conducted troop transports with a number of large Y-20 transport aircraft to three airstrips in the Spratly archipelago, where China has built and militarised artificial islands on top of the reefs in the SCS, according to Chinese state media Global Times.

China’s claim to sovereignty over the South China Sea and its willingness and ability to pursue it has long been creating friction with countries in the area, which stake their own claims to parts of the sea, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

China also regularly deploys its large civilian fishing fleet to further its goals in the SCS. In March 2021, a huge Chinese fishing fleet descended on Whitsun Reef, which lies within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Almost seven months later more than 150 Chinese vessels reportedly remain in Philippine waters.

Tensions continue to rise in the SCS, as China, ramps up its military activities in the region. Within only the first four days of October, China conducted a record-breaking 150 incursions into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) — after China’s People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) had already, in September, set another monthly record with 117 incursions, some with nuclear-capable bombers, fighter jets and reconnaissance planes. Also in August and September, China conducted assault drills near Taiwan with war ships, early-warning aircraft, anti-submarine aircraft and bombers.

China’s Sea BRI

In addition to this, the Chinese government has embarked on the Sea version of its Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). Under this programme Chinese companies, COSCO Shipping Ports and China Merchants Port, two state-owned enterprises which account for the operations of 81 per cent of those ports, have acquired 95 ports globally out of which 22 are in Europe, 20 in the Middle East and North Africa, 18 in the Americas, 18 in South and Southeast Asia, and nine in sub-Saharan Africa.

If we analyse these acquisitions by China, which on the face of it looks commercial, most of these investments comes at a very high cost with very low RoI, but in reality these investments are driven by China’s geopolitical ambitions, thus the RoI does not matter to the Chinese state.

The paper “Weaponising the Belt and Road Initiative,” written by Daniel R. Russell and Blake H. Berger and published by Asia Society Policy Institute in September 2020, underlines this fact stating that, “a deliberate military and strategic functionality seems clearly entrenched in the initiative…. There is abundant evidence it is developing a network of strategic strongpoints that can significantly raise the costs of any US military intervention and lower the willingness of BRI host governments to offer access or assistance to the US”.

In addition the paper notes that the US naval vessels might not be able to call regularly at ports under Chinese management because of the risk that commercial port information-technology systems could be used to monitor or interfere with military systems and jeopardise US information and cyber security. For this very reason, the US warned Israel that China’s management of the new Haifa port terminal could potentially damage US-Israeli security cooperation, as it might lead to US Navy ships refraining from docking at Haifa.

Further this investment in and ownership of ports worldwide creates economic and political leverage for the Chinese government, as it could affect local policy and decision-making. For example after Chinese acquisition of the port of Piraeus, Greece blocked an EU statement criticising China’s human rights record and also prevented a unified EU statement against China’s behaviour in the SCS besides opposing tougher screenings of Chinese investments in Europe.

The USN Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead said in 2019 that China’s port acquisitions and operations pose certain risks for US Navy vessels that call at ports under Chinese management.

If we put two and two together then the maritime strategy of China in the SCS and rest of the world becomes quite clear. While on the one hand by show of strength it is trying to dominate Taiwan and other smaller countries in the region. Secondly, by buying and managing ports worldwide it has charted a route which ensures availability of gas and natural gas to the Chinese factories and if required the Chinese military vessels could be deployed there quite quickly, and the nation in which that port exists might not be able to even utter a whisper as it is already under the economic burden of Chinese loans and aid programme.

Overall, the Chinese aggression in the SCS and its port-buying programme are in fact a direct challenge to the US in the global waters and China has been able to achieve this at a very little cost.

(Asad Mirza is a political commentator based in New Delhi. He writes on Muslims, educational, international affairs, interfaith and current affairs. Views expressed are personal)

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US biggest threat to peace, stability in South China Sea: China

The United States has been stirring up trouble out of nothing, arbitrarily sending advanced military vessels and aircraft into their South China Sea as provocations ,said China’s deputy permanent representative Dai Bing…reports Asian Lite News

After the United States raised the issue of the South China Sea issue at the UN Security Council, China’s deputy permanent representative Dai Bing on Monday said the US has itself become the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Participating in the high-level open debate ‘Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation’ of the UN Security Council chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through videoconference, Bing said “I wish to point out that the Security Council is not the right place to discuss the issue of trust the South China Sea.”

“The United States just mentioned that South China Sea issue, and trying to formally oppose this act at present with a joint effort of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea remains generally stable, all countries, enjoyed the freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with international law,” Bing said.

He said, “The United States itself is not qualified to make a responsible remark on the issue of the South China Sea. The United States has been stirring up trouble out of nothing, arbitrarily sending advanced military vessels and aircraft into their South China Sea as provocations and publicly trying to drive a wedge into regional countries, especially countries concerned. This country itself has become the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

US President Joe Biden, when he was the vice president, with China’s President Xi Jinping during a visit to Beijing in 2011. (File Photo White House_IANS)

China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and its efforts to advance into the Indian Ocean are seen to have challenged the established rules-based system.

China’s deputy permanent representative also criticised the US saying that it does not join the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) but considers itself a judge of the convention pointing fingers at other countries interfere arbitrarily, it has no credibility American issues.

Bing’s remarks come after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed concerns regarding actions of China that intimidated other states while unlawfully expanding its maritime resources.

Blinken said that maritime security is in serious danger especially in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, China has announced that it will hold a five-day military exercise from Friday in the South China Sea as tensions escalate in the region.

The exercise, which will include setting up a vast navigation restriction zone, comes as the US and other countries in the region are building pressure on Beijing by holding large-scale military drills. (ANI)

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US, Japan defence chiefs discuss situation in East and South China sea

Photo - Japan Ministry of Defense/Self-Defense Forces

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin underscored American support for the US – Japan Alliance and emphasized its role in maintaining a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, reports Asian Lite News

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi and US Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III held a telephonic conversation on Friday and exchanged views over the current situation in the East and South China seas, where China is expanding its military presence.

Speaking to reporters, Kishi said he and the US defence chief agreed to further strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the bilateral alliance in light of the increasingly severe security environment, Kyodo News reported.

The talks, held at the request of the United States, came as Austin wrapped up his trip to Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines from Monday.

According to Pentagon Press Secretary John F Kirby, Austin underscored American support for the U.S.-Japan Alliance and emphasized its role in maintaining a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

Japan
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (Photo: @SecDef/Twitter)

Austin’s trip to the Southeast Asian countries “clearly shows that the United States will deeply commit to this region’s security and is very significant,” Kishi said.

Secretary Austin congratulated Minister Kishi on a successful opening ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games and discussed his trip to Southeast Asia.

Secretary Austin and Minister Kishi “concurred on the need to continue strengthening U.S.-Japan Alliance cooperation to address an increasingly uncertain regional security environment”, said the statement.

They further agreed to build on the momentum generated by their March “2+2” meeting to build closer defense cooperation in the months to come.

Indo-Pacific region is largely viewed as an area comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea.

China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and its efforts to advance into the Indian Ocean are seen to have challenged the established rules-based system.

China has been increasing its maritime activities in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea over the past few months, partly in response to Beijing’s concerns over the increasing US military presence in the region because of escalating Sino-US tensions.

Recently, tensions between China and Japan have escalated amid increased activity by Beijing in the disputed East China Sea.

This comes after Beijing implemented a new law that allows the country’s quasi-military force to use weapons against foreign ships that China sees as illegally entering its waters. (ANI)

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Maritime Militia leads Chinese expansion in South China sea

The People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) of China owes its origin to the Communist Party’s 1950 consolidation of people’s militia groups comprising mainly fishermen and coastal workers of China, writes Prof. Carl Schuster

According to reports, China recently warned the United States that it will face defeat if the two superpowers go to war. This warning is a testimony to what China thinks about its military might.

The threat to the US has come from China in response to the joint military exercise carried out by the US, Japan, Australia, and France last week amidst tension in the East China Sea. Tension is also mounting in the South China Sea with the Philippines refusing to withdraw vessels from the disputed territory.

China’s Maritime Militia are very often a party in these disputes due to its bullying tactics along the maritime boundary with Philippines, Vietnam, and Japan. The People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia (PAFMM) of China owes its origin to the Communist Party’s 1950 consolidation of people’s militia groups comprising mainly fishermen and coastal workers of China.

Its initial role was confined to keeping a close eye on People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s coastal waters and reporting any suspected activities to the Chinese Army (PLA). These militia were recruited, trained, and equipped by the party’s Bureau of Aquatic Products, which authorize former PLA officers [TS1] to train and direct the militias’ operations.

These militia groups operated very close to the maritime boundary till the 1960s. However, their activities started expanding in subsequent years. They started bullying South Vietnamese fishermen in Paracel and Spratly islands in the late 1960s. Their first major victory came in January 1974 when they seized South Vietnam’s Paracel Islands. They engaged the South Vietnam Naval unit with 400 militia troops and captured the islands. This island remained with China ever since.

The PAFMM have been leading the PRC’s bullying in the East and South China Sea from the early 1980s. They threaten the Vietnamese and Filipino fishing ships, which are small, slow, and less robust. The militia threatens these fishing boats with small arms and attacks them with high pressure water cannons, very often sinking them. This is particularly true for Vietnamese fishing vehicles. The Chinese Coast Guards are often seen helping these militia groups in their nefarious activities.

In fact, due to the early gains by this militia unit, China built ‘fishing shelters’ to protect their fishermen in the Spratly islands. Their activities increased further after the US Navy pulled out of the Philippines in 1994. With the help of the PLA, the PAFMM isolated all the neighbouring countries and captured Mischief Reef and Scarborough Shoal. This compelled the US to follow a proactive strategy and support the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Despite all these activities by PAFMM, the Chinese government headed by Chairman Xi Jinping has never accepted any link between PAFMM and China’s military. They claim that they are fishermen. This enables the PRC to deny any involvement of the Chinese government in these scuffles.

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The PAFMM do not regularly use firearms or other military weapons so their actions cannot be called an ‘act of war’ which might trigger retaliation. It may also compel Manila to seek US support under the US-Philippine Mutual Defence Treaty. That is why the US calls PRC’s actions ‘Grey Zone Operations’, which means they are acts of aggression, but fall short of military actions that would risk triggering a military response.

The PAFMM still continues with its activities in the East and South China Sea. For occupying an uninhabited island, the PAFMM does the initial seizure posing as fishermen. When other countries confront them with their Coast Guards or other law enforcement agencies, they find themselves confronting an armed militia, which is fully backed by China’s Coast Guard or Navy. The situation can escalate into a full-fledged war if the other party insists on vacating the island.

Such is the highhandedness of China that when an International Arbitration held the Chinese occupation illegal, it refused to abide by the judgment saying all nations should ‘respect’ international law.

At the time of the real war PAFMM may shift to supporting roles like defensive mining. They did this during the PLA Navy exercise in 2014. They would act as one of the many eyes of the fleet, land militia troops in remote areas or covertly land troops before the actual war starts.

A unit of the People’s Armed Forces, PAFMM operates under direct military command for carrying out state-sponsored activities. Although they are locally supported but report to the head of China’s military — Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping.

The exact number of fishing vessels possessed by PAFMM is not known, but estimates put the figure at around 350, out of which 225 are deployed in the South China Sea. Their vessel hulls are made up of reinforced steel, which are very strong. On the other hand, most of the other fishing vessels in the South China Sea are made of wood or other light materials. The PAFMM vessels are faster, which puts them at an advantageous position in an encounter.

They can ‘bump’ the enemy’s vessel at will with little risk of damaging their own strong hull.

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Most of the fishermen from other countries are unarmed, but PAFMM vessels have small arms and, in some cases, Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) and machine guns. They are rarely used but are available on the vessels.

The PAFMM vessels have water cannons mounted above the pilot house. They aim the spray at the other vessels’ pilot house to blind the crew, but sometimes they aim it at the engine exhaust. Cold sea water hitting a hot engine tends to damage the engine, leaving the craft non-functional in the water. The PAFMM vessel can then do what it wants — bump, ram or just leave.

China places greater importance to claims on the South China Sea because of its strategic location. The political and strategic payoff is bigger in the South China Sea compared to the East China Sea and the risks and operational difficulties are less. The South China Sea is easier to dominate. The PAFMM base in Sanya is closer to the disputed territories in the South China Sea than the PAFMM base in Guangzhou to the Senkaku. They must pass through Taiwan to reach Senkaku.

The PRC’s military bases and airfields are closer to the disputed territory in the South China Sea than they are from the US bases in Japan. The East China Sea is not strategically located. The US and Chinese bases are equidistant from Senkaku. Also, Japan’s Coast Guard is stronger than those of Vietnam and the Philippines, China’s main target in the South China Sea. The PAFMM gets greater support in the South China Sea from the Chinese military establishments compared to the East China Sea.

China wants to dominate the South China Sea because that would give Beijing strategic advantage against Taiwan and Japan, before risking a conflict over the Senkaku. Xi always goes for an easy target that he believes can be achieved with minimal risk and costs.

Traditional thought in Chinese military believes in isolating the enemy and establishing an advantageous geo-political and military superiority before engaging in a war. Also, the best leader is the one who achieves ‘victory’ without fighting. China has secured much of the South China Sea and is using the PAFMM to expand its control without firing a shot. It has worked so far. However, doing that around the Senkaku may prove to be difficult and expensive.


(Commissioned out of the NROTC unit at the University of South Carolina in 1974, Captain Schuster served in a variety of US and international posts both at sea and ashore before his retirement in 1999. He was a qualified Joint Staff Officer, Foreign Area Officer and Strategic Planner at retirement. The views expressed are personal).

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Philippine ships ‘won’t move an inch backward’: Duterte

Maritime authorities on Wednesday reported that there were 287 Chinese maritime militia vessels scattered in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea….reports Asian Lite News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBunj9Hl3bw

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said that Philippine ships in the West Philippine Sea will not move an inch backward following reported incursions by nearly 300 Chinese militia vessels in the disputed territory.

“Our vessels are now there in Pag-asa and in other areas, we will not move an inch backward,” said Duterte in his public address, reported Manila Times.

Maritime authorities on Wednesday reported that there were 287 Chinese maritime militia vessels scattered in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr on Wednesday ordered the filing of another diplomatic protest against Beijing over the recent incident.

China-ship

Despite his pronouncement, Duterte also reiterated that he does not want a quarrel with China.

I don’t want to quarrel with China. I really don’t want to. I repeat, we owe them a big debt of gratitude,” said Duterte.

Last month, Philippines had conducted maritime exercises in the disputed West Philippine Sea, as Chinese coast guard ships continue to amass near a disputed reef in the South China Sea.

Members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources began their “intensified” maritime training.

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Eight capital ships of the national government had been deployed for the maritime exercises in Bajo De Masinloc and Pag-asa Island. The exercises covered navigation, small boat operations, maintenance, and logistical operations.

The vessels were also used to perform maritime drills in the Batanes Group of Islands, Benham Rise, as well as in the southern and eastern portions of the Philippines.

“We are supporting the whole-of-nation approach in securing our maritime jurisdiction, especially the efforts of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea to undertake maritime security, maritime safety, maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue, and marine environmental protection roles in our country’s waters,” PCG spokesperson Commodore Armando Balilo said.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

China has been increasing its maritime activities in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea over the past few months, partly in response to Beijing’s concerns over the increasing US military presence in the region because of escalating Sino-US tensions.

Beijing’s rising assertiveness against counter claimants in the East and South Sea has resulted in unprecedented agreement across the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)

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Japan concerned over Beijing’s moves in South China Sea

Japanese-Prime-Minister-Yoshihide-Suga

Motegi stressed on China’s attempts to change the status quo in the East China and South China seas, the situation around Taiwan and Hong Kong…reports Asian Lite News

On the second day of Group of Seven (G7) ministerial meetings in London, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi expressed growing concerns over a number of issues related to China.

Motegi stressed on China’s attempts to change the status quo in the East China and South China seas, the situation around Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Kyodo news agency reported on Wednesday.

Tokyo also raked up Beijing’s handling of human rights of the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang province, which it said has caused “grave concerns”. Motegi also discussed regional issues at the meeting.

The meeting lays the groundwork for the summit among world leaders in June.

The Ninth Japan-UK Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue(Twitter)

On Monday, Motegi had agreed with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to step up cooperation to deal with China and promised to further strengthen their alliance to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

“Motegi and Blinken also discussed China. They agreed to oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China and South China seas. They also shared concerns about the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. They also agreed on the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” said the NHK World in its report, citing the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

The talks between the two leaders took place in London before the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting. (ANI)\

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Philippines refuses to withdraw navy from South China Sea

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

President of Philippines Rodrigo Duterte has said that he will not withdraw navy and coastguard boats patrolling the disputed South China Sea and insisted that the country’s sovereignty over the waters is “not negotiable”.

He said late on Wednesday that while the Philippines is indebted to its “good friend” China for many things, including free COVID-19 vaccines, his country’s claims to the waterway “cannot be bargainable”, Al Jazeera reported.

“I’ll tell China, we do not want trouble, we do not want war. But if you tell us to leave – no,” Duterte said.

Also Read | Philippines holds naval drills in disputed sea amid tensions

“There are things which are not really subject to a compromise, such as us pulling back. It’s difficult. I hope they understand, but I have the interest of my country also to protect,” he added.

Duterte’s lack of a strong approach against Chinese actions in the South China Sea has drawn the ire of Filipinos on social media.

His remarks came after the country’s defence department said China had “no business telling the Philippines what we can and cannot do with our own waters”.

The Philippine coastguard is conducting drills near Thitu Island and Scarborough Shoal, as well as the Batanes islands in the north and the southern and eastern parts of the country.

In response to the exercises, China’s foreign ministry said on Monday that the Philippines should “stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes”. Other littoral states, including Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei, claim parts of the South China Sea. Taiwan also has a claim.

In recent weeks, Manila has boosted “sovereignty patrols” involving the navy coastguard and fisheries in the Spratly Islands – an archipelago contested by several countries.

The defence and foreign affairs ministries in the Philippines have been up in arms for a fortnight over the presence of 220 fishing boats suspected to be manned by Chinese maritime militia at Whitsun Reef, with statements flying back and forth over the alleged incursion into the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Secretary of Philippines Foreign Affairs Teddy Locsin Jnr said last Wednesday he was “firing off another diplomatic protest” to China’s embassy and would continue objecting “every day until the last one’s gone like it should be by now if it is really fishing”.

Philippines
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

Even after such an intensifying row, China hasn’t shown any sign of relocation of the vessels.

Instead, they have accused the Philippines of using a 2016 international tribunal ruling, which deprived China of certain outcrops of territorial-generating status, the ruling from the permanent court of arbitration effectively punches holes in China’s all-encompassing “nine-dash” line that stretches deep into the South China Sea, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

The 2016 International Tribunal Ruling denies China of its thousand years of fishing rights in the area.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

China has been increasing its maritime activities in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea over the past few months, partly in response to Beijing’s concerns over the increasing US military presence in the region because of escalating Sino-US tensions.

Beijing’s rising assertiveness against counter claimants in the East and South Sea has resulted in unprecedented agreement across the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)