#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Thailand and Asia News >  >  > World News >  >  China 'building runway in disputed South China Sea island'

## Looper

Satellite images show China is  making progress on building an airstrip on a reef in disputed territory  in the South China Sea, a report says. 



The images, published by IHS Jane's Defence Weekly, show construction work on reclaimed land on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands. 
The landmass could accommodate a runway about 3,000m long, the report said.

China's land reclamation work in the area has raised concern around the Asia-Pacific region. 

China  claims almost the whole of the South China Sea, resulting in  overlapping claims with several other Asian nations including Vietnam  and the Philippines. 

They accuse China of illegally reclaiming  land in contested areas to create artificial islands with facilities  that could potentially be for military use. 
Images  have emerged of work in multiple areas in the disputed Spratly islands.  China says its work is legal and needed to safeguard its sovereignty.
*
Military use?*

The report from IHS Jane's used images provided by Airbus Defence and Space in February and March. 

The  later image, dated 23 March, showed a paved section of runway on the  north-eastern side of Fiery Cross Reef, as well as paving and ground  preparation of other sections of the runway. 

The 3,000m length,  it said, "would be well within the parameters of existing People's  Liberation Army Air Force runways on mainland China, which vary in  length from about 2,700m to 4,000m at most".

It also showed dredging to the south of the reef, in apparent work to improve the reef's port facilities. 

Additional  images showed that China could be building a second air strip on Subi  Reef, also in the Spratlys and only 25km from an island with a Filipino  civilian population, by creating and then linking three artificial  islands, the report said. 

China's neighbours are concerned that  Beijing is working to entrench a military presence in the South China  Sea to reinforce - and make permanent - its claims. 

The  Philippines said last year it believed China was building an airstrip in  Johnson South Reef, in the Spratlys - the extent of work there is not  clear. And earlier this week, another report citing satellite images said China was expanding an airstrip on Woody Island, much further north in the disputed Paracel Islands which Vietnam claims. 

Several recent sets of images have shown land  reclamation work in the Spratlys. This shows ships and construction on  Mischief Reef (photo: CSIS's Asia Maritime Transparency  Initiative/DigitalGlobe).                                                                                                     Manila released this photo in May 2014 appearing to show Chinese land reclamation at Johnson South Reef                                      President Barack Obama has said  the US fears China is using "sheer size and muscle" to strong-arm  smaller nations over the South China Sea. 

A US State Department  spokesman says the US does "not believe that large-scale land  reclamation with the intent to militarise outposts on disputed land  features is consistent with the region's desire for peace and  stability". 
But China insists it is acting within its rights. 

"China's  work on the [Spratly] islands mostly serves civil purposes apart from  meeting the needs of military defence. China is aiming to provide  shelter, aid in navigation, weather forecasts and fishery assistance to  ships of various countries passing through the sea," a commentary carried prominently by Xinhua news agency on Thursday read.

China 'building runway in disputed South China Sea island' - BBC News

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## Latindancer

> "China's  work on the [Spratly] islands mostly serves civil purposes apart from  meeting the needs of military defence. China is aiming to provide  shelter, aid in navigation, weather forecasts and fishery assistance to  ships of various countries passing through the sea," a commentary carried prominently by Xinhua news agency on Thursday read.


Chinese spin is always so laughably transparent.

Never forget what they did and ARE STILL DOING in Tibet !

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## thaimeme

Damn Chinese interlopers......

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## Looper

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he has been assured United States B-1 bombers are not bound for Australia.
Assistant  US defence secretary David Shear told a Congressional hearing B-1  bombers and surveillance aircraft would soon be based in Australia as a  deterrent to what America described as China's "destabilising effect" in  the region.



"We will be placing additional air force assets in Australia as well as B-1 bombers and surveillance aircraft," he said.

The Pentagon now says the assistant secretary misspoke.

"I  understand that the official misspoke and that the US does not have any  plans to base those aircraft in Australia," Mr Abbott said.
*
Breaking news in your inbox*

Subscribe to get ABC News delivered to your email, including alerts on major breaking stories, plus the day's top news and analysis.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Canberra confirmed the mistake.
"During  May 13 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, US  assistant secretary of defence David Shear misspoke on the subject of  deploying US military aircraft to Australia," the spokesperson said in a  statement.

"The United States has no plans to rotate B-1 bombers or surveillance aircraft in Australia.

"The  United States and Australia continue to explore ways to strengthen our  alliance and more effectively respond to shared challenges, both  regionally and around the world.

"We routinely rotate military assets through Australia, including a B-52 last December.

"With  respect to US force posture initiatives in Australia  which were first  announced in 2011  we are currently exploring a range of options for  future rotations with our Australian counterparts, and the specifics of  future force posture cooperation have yet to be finalised."                China will resolutely uphold its territorial sovereignty. We  demand the relevant side talk and act cautiously and not take any  actions that are risky or provocative to maintain regional peace and  stability.

                Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying Before the clarification, China's foreign ministry expressed  "serious concern" with a spokeswoman, saying the country would  "resolutely uphold its territorial sovereignty".

Earlier, a  spokesman for Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said the department was  "aware of the comments made by a US official in Congressional testimony  overnight". 

"The US government has contacted us to advise that the official misspoke," a statement read.

The US Air Force said the B-1 bomber was the back bone of its long-range bomber force.

The  aircraft is capable of rapidly delivering 84 bombs weighing 227  kilograms each "against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any  time" and is currently being used to attack Islamic State in Iraq.

Mr  Shear told a special congressional hearing on the South China Sea the  deployment of air assets to Australia was in addition to the doubling of  US marines bound for Darwin, leaving their current base in Japan.

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.


*Video:* Interview: Defence expert Professor Hugh White  (Lateline)       
"We will be moving significant numbers of Marines to Hawaii, Guam and Australia," he said.

"So  we will have a very strong presence, very strong continued posture  throughout the region to back our commitments to our allies, to protect  and work with our partners and to continue ensuring peace and stability  in the region.

"As well as back our diplomacy vis-a-vis China on the South China Sea."
The  senate foreign relations committee called the hearing to address  concerns about China's continued construction of artificial land masses  in the South China Sea including runways.

The US State Department said China's behaviour was having a destabilising effect on the region.
*
To maintain peace do not take provocative actions: China*

China's  official news agency Xinhua reported the country's ambassador to the US  as saying Washington had no right whatsoever to intervene in the  legitimate activities it conducted in the South China Sea, while urging  related parties to resolve the disputes through diplomatic channels.
*
Features of the B-1 bomber:*Manufactured by BoeingHas the largest internal payload of any current bomberCapable of rapidly delivering 84 227-kilogram bombsIntended for high-speed, low-altitude penetration missionsEntered into service in 1986 in United States Air Force as a nuclear bomberIs no longer armed with nuclear weapons, but is capable of carrying air launch cruise and short-range attack missilesChinese ministry of foreign affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying  told a press conference in Beijing the country was "extremely  concerned".

"We think the United States has to issue a  clarification about this. China has always upheld freedom of navigation  in the South China Sea, but freedom of navigation certainly does not  mean that foreign military ships and aircraft can enter another  country's territorial waters or airspace at will," she said.
"China will resolutely uphold its territorial sovereignty. 

"We  demand the relevant side talk and act cautiously and not take any  actions that are risky or provocative to maintain regional peace and  stability."

US secretary of state John Kerry is meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping this weekend.
              Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.

*Video:* US Congressional hearing told B-1 bombers headed for Australia  (ABC News)       

Committee chair Republican senator Bob Corker said  the US was not doing enough to deter the Chinese and American allies  were questioning Washington's credibility.

"I think we're the ones  paying the price by no-one seeing any kind of tangible activity  relative to this and them actually gaining and paying no price," he  said.

Australia's force posture agreement with the US does mention "enhanced aircraft cooperation initiatives".

The focus of that though is "visits for exercises and training".
It  does not specifically mention B-1 bombers being stationed in Australia  as a deterrent to China's territorial claims or being based and  operationally prepared to respond to Chinese actions in the South China  Sea.

A Pentagon spokesman told the ABC heavy-lift bomber assets  had been deployed to Australia in the past, including a B52 visit last  December.
Those however, were used for a training exercise.

Earlier, a Pentagon spokesman said "the specifics of future force posture cooperation are yet to be finalised".

Tony Abbott confirms US has no plans to send B-1 bombers to Australia, says defence official 'misspoke' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

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## Horatio Hornblower

Should be a nice Airport to land on...

Not sure if there'll let the B-1's land there though.

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## Sumocakewalk

> _Not sure if there'll let the B-1's land there though._


"There'll"?

Why not "their'll" or "they're'll"?

When all else fails, maybe even "they'll" would work.

 :Sorry:

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## VocalNeal

Why didn't the Philippines or Malaysia or Vietnam build a weather station or some other structure there a long time ago?
China is simply doing what other countries did 200-300+ years ago to lay claim to distant islands.
Singapore? Christmas Island? Diego Garcia? et al.

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## Cujo

> Why didn't the Philippines or Malaysia or Vietnam build a weather station or some other structure there a long time ago?
> China is simply doing what other countries did 200-300+ years ago to lay claim to distant islands.
> Singapore? Christmas Island? Diego Garcia? et al.


They're laying claim to the whole of the south China sea to withing a few kilometers of other countries shorelines.
They are cheeky kunts that's for sure.

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## Horatio Hornblower

They've got you as well,there coded messages ain't going to hood wink me. :Smile: 




> _Not sure if there'll let the B-1's land there though._
> 
> 
> "There'll"?
> 
> Why not "their'll" or "they're'll"?
> 
> When all else fails, maybe even "they'll" would work.

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## Looper

My taxi driver this morning was from Mogadishu.

He says the place is rocketing ahead with development since government was established 3 years ago and the Chinese are all over the place paying for new airports and road infrastructure in return for oil drilling rights.

They are doing the same in Pakistan building roads.

Between this and the South China sea shenanigans the West has got to take these little slitty-eyed friggers seriously.

Vladimir Valdimirovich is small fry compared to the menace these little punters represent.

I was telling the GF this and she said that China tried to build island near Russia years ago and the Russians just bombed them. Never heard that story before and haven't googled it yet so don't know if it is true.

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## Looper

The United States says China has placed mobile  artillery weapons systems on a reclaimed island in the disputed South  China Sea, a development that Republican senator John McCain has called  "disturbing and escalatory".
Brent Colburn, a Pentagon spokesman  travelling with defence secretary Ash Carter, said the United States was  aware of the weapons.

Senator McCain, chairman of the Senate's  armed services committee, said the move would escalate tensions but not  lead to conflict.

"It is a disturbing development and escalatory  development, one which heightens our need to make the Chinese understand  that their actions are in violation of international law and their  actions are going to be condemned by everyone in the world," he said at a  news conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

"We are not going to have a  conflict with China but we can take certain measures which will be a  disincentive to China to continue these kinds of activities," he said.

In Beijing, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no information on the weapons.
*
Chinese ships busy transforming outcrops into islands*

US  officials said Chinese dredging work had added some 2,000 acres to five  outposts in the resource-rich Spratly islands in the South China Sea,  including 1,500 acres this year.

It has released surveillance  plane footage showing dredgers and other ships busily turning remote  outcrops into islands with runways and harbours.
Mr Carter called  on Wednesday for an immediate halt to land reclamation in the South  China Sea and was expected to touch on the issue of maritime security  and freedom of navigation again in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue  security conference in Singapore.

China says the islands are in sovereign Chinese territory.
*
A maritime power play*

  
The  dispute over the South China Sea pits China against its smaller, weaker  regional neighbours, writes South-East Asia correspondent Samantha  Hawley.


Pentagon officials said efforts by China and other claimant  countries to turn reefs into islands in the Spratlys undermines  international law and raises questions about their future plans and  intentions.

"It creates an air of uncertainty in a system that has  been based on certainty and agreed-upon norms," said Mr Colburn, the  Pentagon spokesman. 

"So anything that steps outside of the bounds  of international law we see as a concern because we don't know what the  ... motivations are behind that. We think it should concern everyone in  the region."

Asian military attaches and analysts said the  placement of mobile artillery pieces appeared to be a symbol of intent,  rather than any major development that could tilt any balance of power.

"It  is interesting and a point to watch. But it should be remembered  they've already got potentially a lot more firepower on the naval ships  that they routinely move through the South China Sea," one military  attache said.
China claims most of the South China Sea. The  Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of  the vital trade route. 
All claimants except Brunei have military fortifications in the Spratlys
*
Vietnam, China, Malaysia have eyes on the prize*

*Explore the conflicting territorial claims in the South China Sea*



Rich  in resources and traversed by a quarter of global shipping, the South  China Sea is the stage for several territorial disputes that threaten to  escalate tensions in the region.

At the heart of these disputes  are a series of barren islands in two groups - the Spratly Islands, off  the coast of the Philippines, and the Paracel Islands, off the coasts  of Vietnam and China.

South China Sea: China placing mobile artillery on reclaimed island, US says - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


I see this as almost as provocative as Russia's actions in the Crimea. The Chinese may not be taking land from a neighbour but creating new land a stones throw from a neighbour in an attempt to lay claim to the sea is almost as incendiary.

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## Horatio Hornblower

What there doing is no different from what the Romans British Americans French have done to build there empires.

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## Looper

Yes but that was done centuries ago and the human race has matured a bit since then in the way we conduct international relations.

This kind of behaviour is not really up to acceptable 21st century standards.

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## Horatio Hornblower

What standards are those :rofl:

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## Looper

Well 200 years ago it was pretty much OK to take over and colonise other countries if you had the military might but now we respect international boundaries and they are not moved by force. Except that is basically what Russia, and now China, has been engaging in.

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## Horatio Hornblower

And no other countries have  such agendas.?

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## Looper

I don't think so. Like who?

I don't think there are any other G20 nations that would even consider such provocative actions.

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## Horatio Hornblower

So your trying to say the western alliance haven't gone into countries and fucked those countries over.?

The Chinese are investing money into many countries, and no doubt asking for favours back,its how business runs.

And thats what it is business.

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## Looper

Yes Chinese investment is a legitimate venture and the West had better watch that.

But building new islands just a stones throw from your neighbours shores and then claiming the new 'land' as sovereign territory is almost as bad as taking land from your neighbours.

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## Horatio Hornblower

Whilst the Chinese are supposedly building in disputed waters, there is the possiblity the countries can go through the courts to establish the sovereign rights to the seas.

Which would then not further flame the situation.

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## Looper

If the chinks are positioning missile batteries on their new 'land' then I am not sure if they would be looking at engaging in legal process to determine who the the new 'islands' belong to.

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## Norton

> Singapore? Christmas Island? Diego Garcia? et al.


Malvinas.  :Smile:

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## Horatio Hornblower

That's if they are.





> If the chinks are positioning missile batteries on their new 'land' then I am not sure if they would be looking at engaging in legal process to determine who the the new 'islands' belong to.

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## Horatio Hornblower

China to extend military reach, build lighthouses in disputed waters

China outlined a strategy to boost its naval reach on Tuesday and held a groundbreaking ceremony for two lighthouses in disputed waters, developments likely to escalate tensions in a region already jittery about Beijing's maritime ambitions.

In a policy document issued by the State Council, the Communist-ruled country's cabinet, China vowed to increase its "open seas protection", switching from air defence to both offence and defence, and criticised neighbours who take "provocative actions" on its reefs and islands.

China has been taking an increasingly assertive posture over recent years in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where Beijing has engaged in land reclamation in the Spratly archipelago.

China, which claims most of the South China Sea, criticised Washington after a U.S. spy plane flew over areas near the reefs last week, with both sides accusing each other of stoking instability.

It has overlapping claims with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei in the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.

Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said China's reclamation in the Spratlys was comparable with construction of homes and roads on the mainland.

"From the perspective of sovereignty, there is absolutely no difference," he told reporters.

RELATED COVERAGE
› Taiwan offers South China Sea peace plan to avert 'major conflict'
Some countries with "ulterior motives" had unfairly characterized China's military presence and sensationalized the issue, he said. Surveillance in the region was increasingly common and China would continue to take "necessary measures" to respond.

"Some external countries are also busy meddling in South China Sea affairs. A tiny few maintain constant close-in air and sea surveillance and reconnaissance against China," the strategy paper said in a thinly veiled reference to the United States.

OFFENCE AND DEFENCE

It said China's air force would shift its focus from territorial air defence to both offence and defence, and building airspace defences with stronger military capabilities.

China also hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the building of two lighthouses in the South China Sea, state media said, defying calls from the United States and the Philippines for a freeze on such activity.

The construction was to help maritime search and rescue, disaster relief, environmental protection and navigational security, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

The People's Liberation Army's nuclear force, known as the Second Artillery Corps, would also strengthen its capabilities for deterrence and nuclear counterattack as well as medium- and long-range precision strikes, the paper said.

"China faces many complex maritime security threats and challenges and requires a navy that can carry out multifaceted missions and protect its sovereignty," Wang Jin, a senior colonel, told reporters.

The paper also cited "grave threats" to China's cyber infrastructure, adding that China would hasten development of a cyber military force.

Self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province, called on all South China Sea claimants to shelve their disagreements to enable talks on sharing resources before a conflict breaks out.

Japan meanwhile will join a major U.S.-Australian military exercise for the first time in a sign of growing security links between the three countries as tensions fester over China's moves.

All three nations have said they are concerned about freedom of movement through the South China Sea and air space.
China to extend military reach, build lighthouses in disputed waters | Reuters

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## Looper

> That's if they are.





> In Beijing, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no information on the weapons.


Pretty likely they would at least deny it if it were not true and they were asked about it.






> Defence Ministry spokesman Yang  Yujun said China's reclamation in the Spratlys was comparable with  construction of homes and roads on the mainland.


Very far from comparable as well as being very far from the Chinese mainland.

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## misskit

Overfishing Fuels South China Sea Tensions, Risks Armed Conflict, Researcher Says


A collapse of fishery stocks in the South China Sea caused by overfishing and climate change could fuel serious tensions and even armed conflict, one of the authors of a new report on the topic has warned.


“The simmering conflict that we see in the South China Sea is mostly because of fish even though countries don’t say it out loud,” Rashid Sumaila, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada, told BenarNews on Wednesday.


Sumaila, from the university’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and its School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, co-authored a report titled “Sink or Swim: The Future Of Fisheries In the East And South China Sea.” He and other fisheries scientists and economists examined the impacts of climate change and overfishing in the region’s oceans.


The report said under a scenario in which global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius by 2050, the South China Sea is “likely to experience significant declines in key commercial fish and invertebrate species, placing many regional fishing economies at risk of devastating failure.”


Regional fisheries in the South China Sea are estimated to generate $100 billion annually, supporting the livelihoods of about 3.7 million people, which the report says will be at risk.


China’s growing need for fish-based feed, not just fish for human consumption, is a key driver of overfishing in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, according to the report.


“Fishery is one of the reasons China is entangled in disputes with its neighbors in the South China Sea,” Sumaila said.


The report’s researchers urged immediate action to reduce fishing. They called for increased international cooperation to prevent the catastrophic fisheries collapse they are predicting.


Fighting over fish


The link between overfishing and maritime conflicts has been witnessed all over the world. One of the more notable incidents was the “cod war” between the United Kingdom and Iceland that continued for nearly 20 years beginning in 1958.


Navies from both countries were deployed to protect rival fishermen until government leaders reached an agreement in 1976 through diplomacy.


More recently, increased attacks by pirates in the waters off the coast of the East African nation of Somalia were attributed to the depletion of seafood resources through illegal fishing.


Some researchers including John Quiggin, professor of economics at the University of Queensland, have a different perspective – that it is disputes and lawlessness that put pressure on fish stocks.


“Unresolved conflict increases risk of overfishing and collapse,” Quiggin said.


“As the Iceland-U.K. cod war and the Somali episode both showed, the optimal solution is for states to regulate exclusive economic zones (EEZs) with catch quotas,” he said. “Best outcome in South China Sea would be for a negotiated agreement.”


Sumaila, meanwhile, said “the best thing the countries sharing the South China Sea can do is to recognize the immense value of the fisheries of this sea and to cooperate to manage the fisheries sustainably.


“They could learn from Norway and Russia, who have decided to manage Barents Sea cod fisheries cooperatively even during the Cold War between the then-Soviet Union and the West because they recognized how important this fishery is to their citizens.”


“I believe this can be done for the South China Sea too,” Sumaila said.


Illegal fishing


Separately, the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Chinese think tank, has alleged that illegal fishing, in particular by Vietnamese fishermen, has “seriously undermined regional mutual trust-building and posed a huge threat and challenge to maritime cooperation, conservation of fishery resources and security of neighboring countries.”


In a new report, the SCSPI said Vietnam operates about 9,000 fishing boats in the South China Sea and got into fishing conflicts with China, Indonesia and Malaysia.


Vietnamese authorities were not available for comment but Vietnamese media have reported on the government’s efforts to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, especially after the European Commission issued a “yellow card” warning against Vietnam’s fishing violations in 2017.


Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had ordered local governments to stamp out IUU fishing by the end of 2021 and leaders of Vietnam’s 28 coastal provinces committed to stop fishing boats from encroaching on foreign waters.


China, however, is still ahead of other countries in terms of IUU fishing. A Global Illegal Fishing Index created by the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime ranked China the worst offender in 2019.


With up to 800,000 vessels, China’s fishing fleet is by far the largest in the world and Chinese fishermen, having exhausted domestic grounds, are known to have traveled to distant waters such as the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa or the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador for their catches.


In the South China Sea, China has been accused of operating a fleet of armed fishing militia to enforce its sweeping sovereignty claims which are disputed by its neighbors, including Vietnam.


The RAND Corp., a U.S. think tank, said China has been carrying out classic “gray zone” operations designed to “win without fighting” by overwhelming the adversary with swarms of fishing boats usually bolstered from the rear by coast guard and possibly naval ships.


Overfishing Fuels South China Sea Tensions, Risks Armed Conflict, Researcher Says — BenarNews

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## bsnub

*A close encounter with a Chinese aircraft carrier has become a badge of honor for a US Navy destroyer crew*


A close encounter with a Chinese aircraft carrier has become a point  of pride for the crew of a US Navy destroyer, a top US admiral said  Tuesday.

In April, the USS Mustin sailed within visual range of  the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and then let the world know about  it.

The operation was a testament to the "boldness" and skill of  US sailors, Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener said at the Surface Navy  Association's national symposium. And those sailors have reveled in the  condemnation it drew from China, added Kitchener, who serves as the  commander of US Navy surface forces and of surface forces in the  Pacific.

The Mustin was assigned "to mark" the Liaoning as the  carrier and its escorts conducted exercises in the South China Sea,  Kitchener said, "so they went out there, and they approached the group,  and the Chinese" cruiser and destroyer escorts "in the screen came out  to meet them."

                                                                                                    The Mustin's crew "realized that at some  point all the Chinese escorts sort of backed off, which told us, 'OK,  there's some operating restrictions that they had around the carrier,'"  Kitchener added.

"Mustin didn't have those," he said. "They  proceeded on in, found a good station, and sat alongside taking pictures  and doing other things for quite a bit of time."




One of those photos, showing the Mustin's commanding officer and  executive officer casually observing the Liaoning, quickly spread around  the world and was widely interpreted as a message to the Chinese navy.
In the weeks that followed, Chinese officials condemned the Mustin, calling its actions "very vile" and accusing the destroyer of endangering Chinese ships and personnel, which US officials denied.

                                                                                                    "It was a good story in the end. At the time,  we had to manage it a little bit," Kitchener said Tuesday, adding that  the Mustin's crew had commemorated the encounter on a uniform patch.
At the bottom of the patch, alongside the Mustin's initials and hull number, are the words "non grata," Kitchener said.

"I  said, 'Hey, what does that mean?' And they go, 'Well, sir, that is from  the demarche the Chinese sent to our State Department that said, 'Hey,  the USS Mustin is no longer welcome in the South China Sea because  they're such a pain in the ass,'" he added.

The incident was  illustrative of "what our sailors are trained to do," Kitchener said,  and the response of the Mustin's crew showed they were unified around  their mission.

                                                                                                    Operating close to other forces is not a new experience for the US Navy, but run-ins with Russian and Chinese forces — whose conduct the US has at times deemed "unsafe and unprofessional" — have increased in recent years amid tensions with each of those countries.

Kitchener and other Navy officials have said US forces should expect to encounter those forces more often and closer to US shores.

"When  we go out now on operations, whether it's East Coast or West Coast,  Black Sea, South China Sea, we're there head-to-head with our  adversaries," Kitchener said. "They're there. They're present. And we're  managing the risk, and our sailors are getting really good at it."

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-n...carrier-2022-1

Got a laugh at this...

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## harrybarracuda

> the South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Chinese think tank, has alleged that illegal fishing, in particular by Vietnamese fishermen, has “seriously undermined regional mutual trust-building"


Obviously living on the same planet as hoohoo and sabang, and it isn't Earth.

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## misskit

*Eye on China, Indonesia launches naval spending spree*

JAKARTA – Indonesia is embarking on a program to modernize its navy and build up a more effective deterrent to confront future incursions by Chinese ships into the 200-nautical-mile economic exclusion zone (EEZ) along its northern maritime border.


Maritime  Coordinating Minister Luhut Panjaitan has often stressed the need for what he calls “ocean-going” surface combatants to protect fishery resources from intruding Chinese and other foreign trawlers in the North Natuna Sea.


But the brazen seven-week incursion by a Chinese survey ship and two armed coast guard cutters near a gas exploration rig 20 kilometers inside Indonesian waters last year has upped the stakes and left the Indonesians scratching their heads over what comes next.

Indonesia’s two home-built Sigma-class and five 1960s-era Van Speijk-class frigates have a limited range of 6,000-9,000 kilometers, only slightly more than most of the navy’s core fleet of 24 corvettes, 14 of which were acquired from the former East German navy in 1993 and are nearing retirement.


Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has concluded a deal for two British Arrowhead 140 frigates, which will be built at state-run PT PAL‘s Surabaya shipyard, and also signed a contract for six new Italian FREMM multi-role frigates and two upgraded Italian Navy Maestrale-class light frigates.


Prabowo was a surprise inclusion in President Joko Widodo’s Cabinet after losing to the incumbent in the 2019 presidential race. But the former army general has impressed with his grasp of strategic issues and his prioritizing a stronger navy and air force.


The minister is also considering the purchase of two or three squadrons of Boeing F-15EX Eagle II and Dassault Rafale fighter jets to augment a front-line fleet made up of three squadrons of Lockheed Martin F16s and 16 Russian Sukhoi Su-27/30s bought during an extended 15-year American arms embargo.

Air force commander Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo recently confirmed Indonesia had made the long-rumored decision to drop the planned acquisition of Su-35 multi-role fighters because of feared US economic sanctions.




Leaked Defense Ministry documents suggest Indonesia will rely heavily on foreign loans to fund an ambitious US$125 billion modernization program over the next 25 years. “Many of our defense systems are aging, so replacing them is urgent,” Prabowo said last year, stressing the need to respond to what he called the “ever-changing environment.”


Neither he nor other senior security officials have said much about China’s aggressive activities in the North Natuna Sea, which are at puzzling variance with an economic relationship that has propelled Indonesia into a new era of industrialization. 


Maritime watchers have seen little Chinese activity over the past two months, but further north the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and USS Essex amphibious assault ship last week raised Beijing’s ire once again by skirting Chinese installations in the disputed Spratly Islands. 


Based on the hull of the Danish-designed Iver Huitfeld-class frigate and manufactured under license from British defense contractor Babcock International, the 5,100-tonne Arrowhead 140 has a range of 17,000 kilometers and a top speed of 30 knots.


It is armed with Sea Ceptor missiles, guided by an advanced air and surface surveillance system, and carries either an AugustaWestland Wildcat or Sikorsky Seahawk helicopter capable of delivering anti-ship missiles and lightweight torpedoes.




The Royal Navy is buying five similar Type 31 frigates, but Babcock says the baseline Arrowhead 140 design can be configured to meet a broad range of operational requirements specifically tailored for Indonesian operations.


The $720 million deal is a triumph for Jakarta as it looks to benefit from a transfer of technology, not only to build its own military hardware in the future, but to contribute to the economic benefits of developing the country’s shipbuilding industry.


Founded during president Suharto’s rule in 1980, PAL has already built corvettes, missile-armed fast attack craft and amphibious warfare vessels, in addition to two strategic sealift vessels for the Philippines Navy.


Earlier, Trieste-based Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced it will build six FREMM frigates for Indonesia for $4.5 billion, apart from meeting more than 50 orders for the same vessel from the US, France, Italy, Egypt and Morocco.

The 6,000-tonne Bergamini-class variant, first introduced into service in 2012, has a range of 12,000 kilometers and is equipped with a 127 mm main gun and Otomat MK2 anti-ship missiles capable of engaging targets at a distance of 180 kilometers.




Under the arrangement, Fincantieri will also acquire and modernize the two 3,000-tonne Maestrale-class frigates, which have a range of 11,000 kilometers and are primarily designed for anti-submarine warfare.


The new frigates are destined to be built in Fincantieri shipyards, but there has been little progress on the deal in the past seven months with a lack of finance still appearing to be a major obstacle.


The same applies to a separate deal with Japan, which had a sales team ensconced in Jakarta for much of last year seeking to sell the Indonesians eight stealthy Mogami-class multi-mission frigates at an overall cost of $3.6 billion.


Under a provisional plan, Mitsubishi and Mitsui were to deliver four of the 5,000-tonne vessels, beginning in late 2023, and for the other four to be built by PAL in what would have been the biggest-ever arms deal between the two countries.


Indonesia’s last naval acquisitions were three 1,700-tonne F2000 corvettes, originally built by Briain’s BAE Systems for the Royal Brunei Navy and sold to Indonesia in 2014 after the sultanate refused to take delivery because they did not meet specifications.  


Last December, Vancouver-based OSI Maritime Systems announced it had been contracted to provide a new integrated navigation and tactical system for the mid-life modernization of the KRI Usman Harun.


The Usman Harun and its sister ship, the KRI John Lie, were among the navy ships that shadowed the Chinese flotilla during the nearly two months it spent inside Indonesia’s EEZ on an intensive seabed mapping exercise.

The incursion was seen as an attempt by China to enforce its so-called nine-dash line of national sovereignty, which despite extending across most of the South China Sea has no legal basis under the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS).


In a sign Beijing may be starting to realize the counter-productive effect of its aggressive actions against Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a forum in Manila this week that China will not use its strength to “bully” its neighbors.


“Stressing only one side’s claims and imposing one’s will on the other is not a proper way for neighbors to treat each other and it goes against the oriental philosophy of how people should get along with each other,” he said.

Eye on China, Indonesia launches naval spending spree - Asia Times

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## bsnub

A  United States Navy guided missile destroyer challenged Chinese claims  of sovereignty in and around islands in the South China Sea on Thursday,  with a Navy statement saying such claims violate international law and  "pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas."The USS Benfold sailed around the Paracel Islands, known as the Xisha Islands in China, in what the Navy calls a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP), Lt. Mark Langford, spokesperson for the US 7th Fleet, said in the statement.

The  Paracels are a collection of 130 small coral islands and reefs in the  northwestern part of the South China Sea. They have no indigenous  population to speak of, only Chinese military garrisons amounting to  1,400 people, according to the CIA Factbook.

The islands are also claimed by Vietnam and self-ruled Taiwan but in Chinese hands for more than 46 years. The islands have been fortified with People's Liberation Army (PLA) military installations.

The US Navy statement said the Benfold also challenged the claims of Vietnam and Taiwan.

"All  three claimants require either permission or advance notification  before a military vessel engages in 'innocent passage' through the  territorial sea. Under international law ... the ships of all states --  including their warships -- enjoy the right of innocent passage through  the territorial sea. The unilateral imposition of any authorization or  advance-notification requirement for innocent passage is unlawful," the  US Navy statement said.

Asserting  freedom of navigation rights involves sailing within the 12-mile  territorial limit from a nation's coastline recognized by international  law.

But  the Navy singled out China for making what it calls "straight  baselines" enclosing all the waters within the island chain and said the  Benfold was challenging those claims too.

"International  law does not permit continental States, like the PRC (People's Republic  of China), to establish baselines around entire dispersed island  groups," the US statement said.

"With  these baselines, the PRC has attempted to claim more internal waters,  territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf than it  is entitled to under international law," it said.

China reacted angrily to the presence of the Benfold in what it claims are its territorial waters.

"The  PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to track,  monitor and drive away the destroyer with warnings," a statement from  the Chinese military said.

"What  the US has done seriously infringes on China's sovereignty and  security, and is yet another hard evidence that it is pursuing maritime  hegemony and militarizing the South China Sea. 

Facts fully prove that  the US is a 'risk-maker' in the South China Sea and the 'biggest  destroyer' of peace and stability in the South China Sea," it said.

China claims almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea as its sovereign territory.

Langford  said Thursday's FONOP was the second of this year against Chinese  claims in the South China Sea -- the USS Benfold also sailed near the Spratly Islands on Tuesday -- but he stressed it continues a longstanding US military practice.

"US forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis, as they have for more than a century," the US Navy statement said.

South China Sea: US Navy warship USS Benfold challenges Chinese territorial claims - CNN

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## harrybarracuda

Ah the ol chinkies will be whining again.

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## bsnub

> Ah the ol chinkies will be whining again.


They already did. It is in the article...




> China reacted angrily to the presence of the Benfold in what it claims are its territorial waters.
> 
> "The  PLA Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to  track,  monitor and drive away the destroyer with warnings," a statement  from  the Chinese military said.
> 
> "What  the US has done seriously infringes on China's sovereignty and   security, and is yet another hard evidence that it is pursuing maritime   hegemony and militarizing the South China Sea. 
> 
> Facts fully prove that  the US is a 'risk-maker' in the South China Sea  and the 'biggest  destroyer' of peace and stability in the South China  Sea," it said.


US: Come get some.

China: We would rather whinge because we are little pinks. 

 :smiley laughing:

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## Shutree

I didn't know this is happening:


China ratchets up tension, declaring part of South China Sea closed

Robert Besser 08 Mar 2022

    For over one week, China will conduct military drills in the South China Sea in an area between its southern province of Hainan and Vietnam, its government announced
    China claims a large part of the disputed waterway, which contains major shipping lanes, and has built airfields on islands and reefs, creating concern in the wider region and the U.S.
    In a statement late last week, the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration said the drills would run until 15th March

HANOI, Vietnam: For over one week, China will conduct military drills in the South China Sea in an area between its southern province of Hainan and Vietnam, its government announced, warning shipping to avoid the area.

China claims a large part of the disputed waterway, which contains major shipping lanes, and has built airfields on islands and reefs, creating concern in the wider region and the U.S.

In a statement late last week, the Hainan Maritime Safety Administration said the drills would run until 15th March.

China provided coordinates to avoid in an area roughly halfway between Hainan's Sanya and the Vietnamese city of Hue. Sanya is home to a major Chinese naval base.

"Entering prohibited," it said in a Chinese and English language statement on its website.

Vietnam has criticized China for infringing upon its sovereignty, as part of the area is well within its 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Tensions between the two countries rose to their highest levels in decades in 2014 when a Chinese oil rig began drilling in Vietnamese waters, triggering boat rammings by both sides and anti-China riots in Vietnam.

China routinely carries out military exercises in the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Brunei also have competing claims.

China ratchets up tension, declaring part of South China Sea closed

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## harrybarracuda

Yes, it's chinky SOP to stir the shit when it's least needed.

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## misskit

*Manila eyes broader ties with Indo-Pacific nations looking to counter Beijing*

The Philippines is broadening its relationship with countries that are trying to counter Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region, while it maintains friendly ties with China despite the Asian superpower’s incursions into Manila’s waters in the South China Sea.


Nurtured by President Rodrigo Duterte to much criticism at home, Manila is keeping its relationship with Beijing on an even keel, ostensibly demonstrating, according to political analyst Rommel Banlaoi, a “pragmatic independent foreign policy” in a polarized world.


For instance, the Filipino foreign secretary is in Tokyo this weekend to take part in the first ever bilateral two-plus-two talks involving the foreign and defense ministers of the Philippines and Japan.


This visit follows a meeting between China’s Xi Jinping and Duterte on Friday, where they “committed to broaden the space for positive engagements” on the South China Sea issue. And on the same day, the Philippines concluded one of its largest military exercises with the United States, its longtime defense ally.


Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies (PACS), said Manila is demonstrating its independence by maintaining its longstanding security alliance with the U.S, strengthening is strategic partnerships with Japan, Australia, South Korea, and the European Union, and maintaining friendly relations with China despite tensions over the waterway.


Still, disputes to do with the South China Sea, part of which is called the West Philippine Sea by the Filipinos, are the main reason behind for broadened security cooperation between the Philippines and other countries in the region, analysts said. Celia Lamkin, Founder of the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea


“The foreign and defense talks between Japan and the Philippines in Tokyo [on Saturday] are significant because of the non-stop aggression and militarization by China in our West Philippine Sea,” Celia Lamkin, Founder of the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea, told BenarNews, using the Philippine term for the South China Sea.


On Thursday, the Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana met with his Japanese counterpart, Nobuo Kishi, in Tokyo to discuss “ways to further enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation,” according to the official Philippine News Agency.


The two defense ministers agreed to bolster security cooperation and expand bilateral and multilateral exercises, according to a statement from the Japanese Ministry of National Defense.


“They shared their intent that they will not tolerate any unilateral change of the status quo by force in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in East Asia and Southeast Asia,” the statement said.


China is involved in maritime disputes with Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.


The inaugural two-plus-two meeting on Saturday will continue to “promote bilateral defense cooperation and exchanges to uphold and strengthen the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP),” Japan Defense Ministry said.


“We need allies like Japan and the U.S. to show China to respect international law in our West Philippine Sea and the rest of the South China Sea,” said Lamkin from the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea.


China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesia's exclusive economic zone as well.


‘Open, warm, and positive’


A day before this two-plus-two meeting, Duterte, who is due to leave office after the Philippine general election in May and who has consistently called China’s Xi a friend, had a telephone meeting with the Chinese leader.


During the call, the two said they work towards maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea by exercising restraint, a statement from Duterte’s office said.


A Chinese statement, meanwhile, said Xi had expressed his approval for how the two nations have dealt with the issue of the disputed South China Sea. Beijing, however, has consistently ignored a 2016 decision by an international arbitration court in The Hague that rejected China’s expansive claims in the contested waterway.


Meanwhile, news emerged on Thursday that, for days, a Chinese coastguard ship had followed a research vessel deployed by Philippine and Taiwanese scientists in waters in off the northern Philippines, sparking concerns.


Still, the statement from Duterte’s office described the hour-long telephone conversation as “open, warm and positive.”


Then again, Manila surprised many a day earlier by voting against Beijing’s ally Moscow, and in favor of a resolution to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council. It was the only ASEAN Nation to vote in favor of the resolution, apart from the Myanmar government in exile.


Also, last September, when Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. announced the establishment of a trilateral security pact, AUKUS, the Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to endorse it despite concerns from regional players including Malaysia and Indonesia.


With the Philippine presidential election looming in May, all eyes are on who will win the race, said Lamkin from the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea.


She added: “Our struggle for sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea depend very much on who will be the next president.”


Manila eyes broader ties with Indo-Pacific nations looking to counter Beijing — Radio Free Asia

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