Thread: China 'building runway in disputed South China Sea island'

Originally Posted by OhOh

The Chinese told them up front they would not participate in any charade.

That's because they know they have no fucking right to take over anyone else's territory and knew they were going to lose.

Are you really that stupid?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

right to take over anyone else's territory

Always has been, barring the European century and the Japanese decade, for millennia.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Always has been, barring the European century and the Japanese decade, for millennia.

You do know we are living in 2019, don't you HoHo.

I don't think the Japanese are going to invade China again, they finished that a long time ago.

Philippines issues strongly worded rebuke vs China flotillas


The Philippine government protested on Thursday the presence of large numbers of Chinese vessels near islands and islets occupied by the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea as illegal and vowed to take "appropriate action."

The Department of Foreign Affairs issued the rare public rebuke of the Chinese presence after the Philippine military monitored more than 200 Chinese vessels from January to March in a disputed area named Sandy Cay near a Philippine-occupied island called Pag-asa by Filipinos.

"The presence of Chinese vessels near and around Pag-asa and other maritime features ... is illegal," the department said in a statement. "Such actions are a clear violation of Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction as defined under international law."

The department said it has lodged diplomatic protests and raised concerns in meetings with Chinese officials, and that the presence of Chinese military, fishing or other vessels in the area would "continue to be the subject of appropriate action by the Philippines."

The Philippines regards a chain of islands and islets, nine of which it occupies, in a contested region named the Spratlys in the South China Sea as a municipality it calls Kalayaan under its western province of Palawan. That claim conflicts with the larger territorial claims of China, Vietnam, and three other governments in a long-simmering Asian dispute.

A 2002 accord between China and the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations aims to prevent armed confrontation in the busy waterway, where much of Asia's oil and trade transits.

"We call on concerned parties to desist from any action and activity that contravenes the ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea as these generate tension, mistrust and uncertainty, and threaten regional peace and stability," the Philippine statement said.

Chinese boats have swarmed around Sandy Cay, a chain of three sandbars that naturally emerged in recent years, since 2017. The sandbars lie between Pag-asa, which is internationally called Thitu, and a Chinese man-made island called Subi.

The Philippines tried to occupy the largest sandbar, about 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 kilometers) from Thitu, in 2017 but China strongly protested. Shortly after, Chinese navy, coast guard and fishing vessels converged at the sandbars, and the Philippines halted planned construction and withdrew on the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said at the time.

The Philippines delivered a protest note to the Chinese Embassy in Manila last Friday. Philippine officials again raised strong concern over the Chinese vessels near Sandy Cay and Thitu, along with two other Philippine-occupied islets, in a meeting with Chinese counterparts on Wednesday in Manila, a Philippine official said.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Chinese and Philippine officials on Wednesday discussed problems in the South China Sea constructively in the latest in a series of meetings that began in 2017.

"The two sides discussed the ways to handle problems with a cooperative attitude and reiterated that they will continue cooperation and discuss measures to promote trust," he said when asked about the Philippines' concern.

Duterte has taken a nonconfrontational approach to the territorial disputes with China as he seeks trade, investment and infrastructure funding.

He has so far refused to take up with China a ruling by a U.N.-linked tribunal that invalidated Beijing's sprawling claims in the South China Sea, sparking criticism from nationalist and left-wing groups, which wanted him to demand immediate Chinese compliance with the landmark decision. China did not participate in the international arbitration and has defied its ruling.

Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed in a statement last November to exercise self-restraint to prevent an escalation of the territorial disputes.

"We call on the Chinese government to adhere to this consensus reached at the highest levels, down to its agencies and its military," the Philippine foreign affairs department said.

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nat...#storylink=cpy

Originally Posted by misskit

to take up with China a ruling by a U.N.-linked tribunal

Which tribunal might that be Mk?

Who are they planning on nicking the gas off?

Vietnam, perhaps.

The Yinggehai-Song Hong Basin is located on the northwest of the South China Sea, between Hainan island and the coast of northern Vietnam

Quite a bit of info online.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinggehai_basin

https://www.offshore-technology.com/...s-development/

http://www.geol.lsu.edu/pclift/pclif...onophysics.pdf

Thanks,

The formations do seem to straddle the international boundary, so 'arry and Cujo well may have a point.

Lukily China has yet to master horizontal drilling I hear.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Thanks,

The formations do seem to straddle the international boundary, so 'arry and Cujo well may have a point.

Lukily China has yet to master horizontal drilling I hear.

I'm sure they nicked that off the Kuwaitis back in 1990.

Unfortunately Omo all your pro chinese arguments cannot escape the geographical location of the Spratlys and before you waste your breath on Gibralter the Falklands Australia etc, the majority of the population is happy with the status quo as will Laos be when it becomes yet another Chinese province when enough Chinese nationals have out populated the locals as a "benefit" of the silk road.

Philippine, US, Japanese and Indian Navies Sail Across South China Sea

The Philippine Navy joined top defense ally the United States and regional powers Japan and India in sailing across disputed areas in the South China Sea after recent drills in South Korea, officials said Thursday.


The show of force came as the Philippines remained locked in a territorial dispute with China, which has sent fishing ships into maritime territory within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.


The six military ships from the four countries sailed from Busan, South Korea, following the first phase of the ASEAN-Plus Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus) Maritime Security Field Training Exercise 2019, according to the Philippine Navy. They crossed over to Singapore, where the second phase of the drills are to be completed.


Navy spokesman Capt. Jonathan Zata said the decision to conduct maritime exercises occurred during discussions among commanders at the Busan training.


“This combined transit exercise aimed to deepen the partnership and foster mutual understanding between participant countries. As with other naval exercises, this activity is expected to validate the decades of friendship, partnership and cooperative engagement that has been long established and observed between the Philippines, US, Japan and India,” Zata said.


The United States, which has vowed to sail through the region to show freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, was excited to take part in the event, said Cmdr. Andrew Klug of the USS William P. Lawrence.


“Professional engagements with our allies, partners and friends in the region allow us the opportunity to build upon existing, strong relationships, as well as to learn from each other,” Klug said.


The trip came after China and the Philippines appeared to diplomatically settle differences in the region. Manila had warned Beijing about the presence of its ships in Philippine-claimed territory around Pag-asa Island.


China claims most of the mineral-rich South China Sea, including areas that reach the shores of its smaller neighbors. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have overlapping claims to the maritime region.



Multilateral cooperation


During the weeklong transit, the ships “conducted a series of training exercises and social interactions.” Transiting through the disputed region was a conduct of “freedom of safe navigation in support of rules-based international system,” the Philippine Navy said.


Capt. Roy Vincent Trinidad, who is leading the Philippine Navy delegation, said the sail validated multilateral cooperation among the four nations.


“The group sail showed the active participation of the Philippine Navy as it strengthens its relationships with allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region. This gives us another opportunity to learn from like-minded navies,” Trinidad said.


Last month, about 4,000 Filipino, 50 Australian and 3,500 American troops participated in Balikatan Exercise 2019, an annual joint military exercise. The amphibious warship USS Wasp, which has sailed through the South China Sea, was deployed for the exercise.

https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...019131358.html

A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 miles of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday in a challenge to China's maritime territorial claims that will likely set off renewed Chinese complaints.
"The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble conducted a Freedom of Navigation Operation(FONOP) in the South China Sea, May 20. USS Preble sailed within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Reef in order to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law," said Cmdr. Clayton Doss, a spokesman for the Navy's Seventh Fleet.

https://abcnews.go.com/International...ry?id=63142736

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law," said Cmdr. Clayton Doss, a spokesman for the Navy's Seventh Fleet.

One presumes ameristan ratified the alleged unidentified International Law, has not announced it is against the ameristani way of life and goldilocks has confirmed he "remembers it" via his unhacked mobile.

Originally Posted by OhOh

One presumes ameristan ratified the alleged unidentified International Law, has not announced it is against the ameristani way of life and goldilocks has confirmed he "remembers it" via his unhacked mobile.

Oh dearie me Hoho. The issue here is not the law; the law says anyone can sail in international waters.

The issue here is the chinkies saying that waters hundreds of miles from their coast are "territorial" just because they think they should be.

One presumes you haven't seen any paperwork from the ICJ saying the chinkies or anyone else owns all these islands, now have you?

The simplest solution would be to settle all these arguments with simple ICJ abitration.

Of course the chinkies refuse to do that because they know they would lose.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

The simplest solution would be to settle all these arguments with simple ICJ abitration.

Of course the chinkies refuse to do that because they know they would lose.

What ? Merely because their line of territorial claim goes almost to the coasts of the Philippines and as far South as Borneo ?

Originally Posted by Latindancer

What ? Merely because their line of territorial claim goes almost to the coasts of the Philippines and as far South as Borneo ?

It doesn't matter how absurd their claim is, the court can consider it and its decisions are binding on all parties.

So they would basically tell them to fuck off forever.

Which is why the chinkies run and and hide from it.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Another feeble attempt at



The court you named has not been asked for it's opinion.

"The International Court of Justice has jurisdiction in two types of cases: contentious cases between states in which the court produces binding rulings between states that agree, or have previously agreed, to submit to the ruling of the court; and advisory opinions, which provide reasoned, but non-binding, rulings on properly submitted questions of international law, usually at the request of the United Nations General Assembly. Advisory opinions do not have to concern particular controversies between states, though they often do."

As many other countries have done and continue to do, where the jurisdiction of the court has/is being challenged and thus the ICJ cannot be utilised.

What other legal bodies support these fictitious "International laws" the ameristanis utilise, to enable their fictitious claim of their "engaging in illegal acts"as being protected by "international law" ?

Has the UNGA called for the ICJ to express their opinion ?

It's interesting that you would preface a pile of waffle with the mention of "deflection", yet manage to squeeze in there exactly what I've been saying.

You dumbass.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

the court can consider it and its decisions are binding on all parties.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

yet manage to squeeze in there exactly what I've been saying.

Try reading. Both parties have to agree to the court having jurisdiction.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Try reading. Both parties have to agree to the court having jurisdiction.

I'm pretty sure the parties next to the islands will be more than happy to agree that the court has jurisdiction - because it's fucking nailed on the chinkies would be going home with their tails between their legs.

Philippine Leader Lays Down Challenge to US Over South China Sea

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte challenged the United States to send a naval fleet to the archipelago under a mutual defense treaty, amid pressure to act more forcefully toward Chinese incursions in Filipino territory in the South China Sea.


The outburst-prone president made the comment during off-hand remarks to a pastor in southern Davao City on Tuesday, while facing domestic criticism over his handling of Beijing’s expansionism in the disputed sea. Duterte has been under pressure particularly after a recent incident when a Chinese trawler sank a smaller Philippine fishing boat in the maritime region, stranding 22 Filipino sailors at sea.


In March, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Manila to assure Filipinos that Washington would back the Philippines militarily over Chinese expansionism in the sea by invoking a nearly 70-year-old bilateral defense pact, if necessary.


In his latest remarks about the South China Sea, Duterte said he was prepared to use the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty in calling on the United States to come to his country’s aid, because, in his words, the Philippines simply was “no match” against the Chinese.


But any strong stand taken against China would certainly not please the Asian military giant, he warned.
“I’m calling now [on] America. I’m invoking the R.P.-U.S. pact. I would like America to gather all their Seventh Fleet in front of China. I’m asking them now. And I will join them,” Duterte said during his meeting with the clergyman, a transcript of which was released by the presidential office on Wednesday. The president was referring to the 1951 treaty.


“I will ride on the boat with the admiral of the U.S. But I will drag along this Carpio and the rest of Albert. When the Americans say, ‘we’re here now,’ ready, I will press the (button),” he added, alluding to former Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and ex-Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.


The two had recently filed a lawsuit at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against China’s government and Chinese President Xi Jinping, alleging that Beijing was implementing a systematic plan to control the South China Sea.
The president was likely bluffing in his latest remarks, a Philippine analyst observed.


Duterte made them the same day that Filipino defense officials and diplomats wrapped up an annual bilateral strategic review meeting in Manila with their U.S. counterparts. The two sides afterward affirmed their longtime alliance, which is bound by the defense pact that calls on both countries to come to each other’s aid in times of war.


According to the treaty, that includes armed attacks “on the metropolitan territory of either of the parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific Ocean, its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific.”


If Duterte was serious in his comments, that would affect the country’s diplomatic ties with China as well as trade relations, said Ramon Beleno III, who heads the department of political science and history at Ateneo De Davao University in Davao City.


“It will not make China happy … I think he is just bluffing,” Beleno told BenarNews.


He said Duterte was forced to take such a stance to soften a public perception that he was siding with China.


Duterte already repeatedly said that he would not stand up to Beijing, Beleno said, noting that last month the president admitted he gave Xi a verbal go-ahead for Chinese fishermen to enter Philippine waters, in what many observers claimed was a violation of the Filipino constitution.


That alone was a violation of the charter, Baleno said, adding however that Duterte would likely not face impeachment because he had gained control of both houses of Congress.



High Court judge: Non-violent ways to win over China


Meanwhile, Supreme Court judge Antonio Carpio responded last weekend to an earlier challenge by Duterte to propose a plan to enforce a ruling by an international arbitration court on July 12, 2016, which invalidated Beijing’s vast claims to the South China Sea.


In a speech Carpio enumerated several options that do not require violence or resorting to war.


“My response is yes, Mr. President, there is a formula – and not only one but many ways of enforcing the arbitral award without going to war with China, using only the rule of law. Let me mention a few of these, and I hope the President will implement them as he had promised,” Carpio said Sunday during an address at a graduation ceremony at the Ateneo Law School in Manila, according to the Philippine news reports.


Carpio said as ruled by the arbitral tribunal other claimants can enter into a convention declaring that no geological feature in the contested areas generate an exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and there are only territorial seas from the geological features that are above water at high-tide.


This convention, he explained, would leave China isolated as the only disputant state claiming EEZs from the Spratlys, a chain of islands and islets believed to be sitting atop vast mineral deposits. The Spratlys are claimed by both countries, as well as Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.


At the same time, reports quoted him as saying the Philippines could send on patrol the navy’s 10 new multirole-response ships, which were donated by Japan for use by the Philippine Coast Guard, to assert the country’s sovereign rights.


Carpio also cited another option in which the government could file with the United Nations an extended continental shelf claim in the West Philippine Sea beyond the 200-nautical mile EEZ off the coast of Luzon, where China is the only opposite coastal state.


Beijing, Carpio emphasized, could not invoke historic rights under its nine-dash line claim, which has already been ruled without legal effect by the arbitral tribunal, because the extended Chinese continental shelf does not overlap with the extended continental shelf of the Philippines.


“The Filipino people should not be intimidated by national leaders who peddle a false option that either we go to war with China or submit to China. This false option should be discredited once and for all. This false option does not deserve any further space or airing in the nation’s political discourse,” the Supreme Court judge said, according to reports.


“We cannot just decry the absence of an enforcement mechanism under UNCLOS. We cannot adopt a defeatist attitude and just sit idly by and let China seize what international law has declared to be our own exclusive economic zone,” Carpio added, referring to the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.



Legal cover for China’s expansionism


Carlos Zarate, a member of the opposition in the House of Representatives, said Duterte appeared to be preparing to lay out the legal cover for China’s “expansionism” in the mineral-rich sea when the leader delivers his annual “State of the Nation” address before Congress next week.


Although Duterte enjoys widespread support among the masses, many Filipinos think the president should assert the country’s sovereignty, Zarate said, citing current opinion polls.


Duterte’s allies, he said, were pushing to amend the constitution and delete provisions protecting the country from the entry of foreign interests – specifically a rule stipulating that any exploration and use of natural resources can be carried out only by a majority-owned Filipino firm.


“This means that there will no longer be a constitutional barrier to President Duterte undertaking joint exploration with the Chinese government or 100 percent Chinese-owned corporations,” Zarate alleged.


Proposed changes to the charter also would delete a provision requiring the president to notify Congress about every contract entered into by the government, a scenario that would “open up the country to verbal agreements with China allowing China’s fishing in the West Philippine Sea,” the lawmaker said, using the Philippine name for the South China Sea.


“We cannot sacrifice the future of the next generation of Filipinos in exchange for our loyalties to a temporary president,” he said.



https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...019161020.html