Philippines hails US support in Spratly row

[Bhairava]

The Philippines yesterday welcomed what it saw as a gesture of support from the US amid an escalating row with Beijing over disputed territory in the South China Sea.

Manila has in recent months accused China of taking increasingly aggressive action in staking its claims to the disputed waters, prompting the US Congress on Friday to pass a resolution calling for a peaceful settlement to the conflict.

“The resolution supports the Philippine position of peaceful, multilateral and rules-based settlement of the... disputes in accordance with international law, and condemns the use of force and overt threats,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said. “We welcome the support of US congressmen to the Philippine position,” del Rosario said in a statement.

China and the Philippines have overlapping claims to parts of the South China Sea, which is believed to hold vast gas and other natural resources, along with Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

The Philippines, which has one of the weakest military forces in the region, has been seeking greater support from the US, its main defence partner, in standing up to the Chinese.

Manila has also called for multilateral talks to settle the dispute and has pressed China to bring the issue before an UN-backed tribunal.
But China has insisted on bilateral talks only and rejected calls to bring the dispute before the tribunal.

The conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea were expected to dominate the agenda at the gathering of South-East Asian foreign ministers and their regional counterparts on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali this week.

Tensions have been rising between members of the Association of South South-East Asian Nations (Asean) and China over control of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

The Spratlies and other parts of the South China Sea are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, all Asean members.
“Whether we like it or not, it’s a fact of life that the issue of the South China Sea has grabbed our attention, especially given the dynamics of the recent weeks,” Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.
Talks in Bali were to start with the Asean ministerial meeting tomorrow, followed by the meeting known as Asean+3, which includes China, Japan and South Korea on Thursday.

Philippines hails US support in Spratly row

 

[Bhairava]

Great move - the ASEAN must co-ordinate with other regional powers and interested parties to solve this issue peacefully and amicably without getting bullied down by the regional hegemons who want to exercise their new found power on smaller and relatively weaker states.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

11 July 2011 Last updated at 10:38 GMT

US-China spat over South China Sea military exercises

American and Chinese military chiefs have argued over US exercises in the South China Sea, after high-level talks in Beijing.

Chinese army chief Gen Chen Bingde said the exercises with the Philippines and Vietnam were "extremely inappropriate".

But at a joint news conference, Adm Mike Mullen said the US would continue to support its allies in the region.

Overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea have sparked tension in recent months.

China, Vietnam and Taiwan all claim sovereignty over huge areas of the sea, including the Paracel and Spratly island groups.

The Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei also claim overlapping areas of territory.

The US has recently held joint drills with the Philippines and is planning a similar move with Vietnam, saying the exercises are part of a regular schedule.

But Gen Chen accused the Americans of repeatedly promising not to intervene in the South China Sea while "sending the opposite signal to the world".

"It carried out joint military exercises in the South China Sea with Vietnam and the Philippines, although they did it before, it is extremely inappropriate to do it at this particular time," he said.

Gen Chen went on to suggest that the US spent too much money on its military, and said it would be a "better scenario" if the government spent more money on improving the livelihoods of its people.

Adm Mullen, who is in China for a four-day visit, rebuffed the criticism and insisted that the US would continue exercises with its regional allies.

Before the meeting, Adm Mullen had expressed concern about the growing row between China, the Philippines and Vietnam.

He warned that misunderstandings could lead to "an outbreak that no-one anticipated".

In a speech to university students, he said: "The United States is deepening its commitment to this region and the alliances and partnerships that define our presence there.

"We are, and will remain, a Pacific power, just as China is a Pacific power."

During a visit to the US in May, Gen Chen said China had no intention to match US military power.

He said America's armed forces remained far more advanced than China's despite considerable progress by China in recent years.

Correspondents say both sides are trying to boost military co-operation, but there are still significant underlying tensions.

As well as the recent spike in tension in the South China Sea, the two nations also have a history of acrimony over Taiwan.

In 2010, Beijing severed military contacts with Washington in response to US arms sales to the island.

China regards Taiwan as part of its territory.

BBC News - US-China spat over South China Sea military exercises

Four major aspects are evident from this news report.

1. The holding of naval exercises by US with Philippines and later with Vietnam has spooked China and sent shivers down their spine.

2. The cavalier attitude of China towards smaller nations (like Vietnam, Philippines etc) intimidated by China so far, along with bravado and brouhaha has shrivelled up like a dried apricot!

3. The US has sent clear indication to China that the US continues to be a Pacific power and to disabuse itself of any false impression that China alone is supreme in the Pacific and can impose their hegemony over the area and intimidate smaller nations.

4. The US dismisses with the deserved contempt any attempt to question the US.

China, on its part has made the following statements:

1 China finds the US naval exercise with Philippines and later, with Vietnam ‘extremely inappropriate’.

2 Gen Chen accused the Americans of repeatedly promising not to intervene in the South China Sea while "sending the opposite signal to the world".

3 Gen Chen went on to suggest that the US spent too much money on its military, and said it would be a "better scenario" if the government spent more money on improving the livelihoods of its people.

The issue is there is no doubt that China wished to take advantage of the perceived notion that the US had become but a paper tiger and was beyond capability to intervene, and in this scenario, grab as much of territory as feasible from weaker nations.

The US sadly for China has spiked China’s attempt to be ‘over smart’. Contrary to China’s smug appraisal that the US has become a ‘paper tiger’ has quietly shown that it still remains supreme and China is but a pretender.

This re-assertion of the US being supreme, even in China’s backyard, has spooked China and has sent shivers down their spine, so much so, that the PLA boss Gen Chen has had to express his fear openly by claiming that:]

1. That the exercise was ‘extremely inappropriate’.

2. The US promised not to intervene but is intervening and ‘sending wrong signals to the world’.

3. That the US should stop wasting money on arms and instead use it to improve the livelihood of its (US) people.

It is worth analysing the Chinese point of view.

1. Are the exercises ‘extremely inappropriate’?


a. The US is bound to Philippines by a Mutual Defence Treaty. In a territorial dispute, as in the South China Sea, is it ‘extremely inappropriate’ to assist its ally? If so, what is this Mutual Defence Treaty all about?

b. If the Chinese claim over everything in the South China Sea is held by China as valid, what makes the Philippines, Vietnamese, Brunei, and Malaysian et al claim invalid?

c. If one goes by the Vietnam threads here, the Chinese claim historical treaties. First of all, Chinese history is full of myths (Google if you please) and these myths have been forcefully defended by the Chinese as ‘true’. Forceful shouting from the rooftops does not establish legitimacy to the claim.

d. For discussion’s sake, let us assume that China’s wild claim that the South China Seas belong to China because of historical treaties. Taking a leaf from China, wherever China has had a territorial dispute, and even if the opposite side has furnished treaties to prove their claim, China has dismissed and rejected such treaties as ‘unequal treaties’. If for China, uncomfortable treaties are ‘unequal’, would the same not valid to be the case for the smaller and weaker nations of the South China Sea? After all what is good for China, is good for all!!!!!! Is that not fair?

e. What makes the Chinese dadagiri in the South China Sea ‘appropriate’ and the US meeting its treaty obligations ‘extremely inappropriate’?

The Chinese as a Nation and the Han race [not all Chinese are technically original Hans but assimilated barbarians (as per their own claim of shefan and shengfan)] are extremely self opinionated and think they are the only people of the world! (Don’t misunderstand me; I have appended many a link of scholarly tomes and not Wikipedia). Therefore, they are always right and all are wrong. I will later on this post show this aspect too!


2. The Chinese claim through their Gen Chen that the US promised not to intervene but is intervening and ‘sending wrong signals to the world’.

a. Where has the US claimed so? Is it another of the usual tripe, that Goebbels like, want to pass of as a ‘fact’ or ‘the truth’? Is the US daft? The US would possibly not intervene on inconsequential issues, but to believe that the US would not protect its interests and live up to their defence treaty is being struck with a huge dose of dementia.

b. What wrong signals to the world? To the world? Is China, US’ agent and conscience keeper to suggest that the world will buck?

c. Who has given China to be the ‘agent’ for the world? The temerity to assume that they are the moral conscience keeper of the world. In fact, they should see how immoral they are when it suits them to be and then, in similar pedantic style, cover their immorality with pious platitudes in a mealy mouthed way.

d. Another indication of the false Han assumption that they are the superior race who alone know what is good for the world

3. Note this carefully That the US should stop wasting money on arms and instead use it to improve the livelihood of its (US) people.

a. Have we not heard this pathetic bleat on this forum from the Chinese poster before? Does it not prove that most of them are but parrots, parroting the same lines? Does it not mean that they are but His Master’s Voice of the Chinese Govt spewing the same propaganda? It cannot be that the Chinese General is a member of PDF and have copied our Chinese PDF member’s ‘voice’!!!!!!!

b. Now, if the US is wasting money on arms, is China not doing the same? What’s all this Stealth fighter being unveiled when Gates visits? Or the aircraft carrier? Or the anti satellite missile? China has faced drought, starvation, floods, desertification, and high food prices and so on. Should they not spend money on their people before wasting it on these military showpieces?

This totally indicates the double standards of China and since the General and the Chinese PDF members similarity in language, it proves that they are either brainwashed or they are here to propagate Chinese propaganda as the 50 cent Army as the is known the world over.

Please note, I have justified each statement of mine.

It is good thing for the world that China has not been able to get away with it chicanery and skulduggery.

 

[Guest01]

China has turned out to be a complete failure in power projection. The first lesson is that power projection is established when in a matter of mutual benefit, you develop a relationship with a nation such that they defend their benefit with your support. China has played unfortunately totally opposite to that. Rather than making nations ambassador for their way of life/ existence, they are rather making enemies on every stage. In the neighbourhood there is only Pakistan who is blowing their trumpet, and that too because it is scared and broke (both).

China is currently going the hitler way and not the Eiserhower way. Instead of Marshall plans, they are sending ships in countries surrounding them. They got to learn from US about developing nations as their ambassadors. That is true power projection.