China Naval Chief Says Minor Incident Could Spark War In South China Sea

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

World | Fri Oct 30, 2015 12:26am EDT

China's naval commander told his U.S. counterpart that a minor incident could spark war in the South China Sea if the United States did not stop its "provocative acts" in the disputed waterway, the Chinese navy said on Friday.

Admiral Wu Shengli made the comments to U.S. chief of naval operations Admiral John Richardson during a video teleconference on Thursday, according to a Chinese naval statement.

The two officers held talks after a U.S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of one of Beijing's man-made islands in the contested Spratly archipelago on Tuesday.

China has rebuked Washington over the patrol, the most significant U.S. challenge yet to territorial limits China effectively claims around its seven artificial islands in one of the world's busiest sea lanes.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/30/us-southchinasea-usa-china-navy-idUSKCN0SO05320151030?feedType=RSS&feedName=newsOne&google_editors_picks=true

[Sunlei]

1. pity the thousands of tiny fishing boats who do get in range of chinas created island.

They are dead now, boats sunk.

[napi21]

2. Are thee people living on those islands?

If China "made" these artificial islands, why does the US think they should be able to patrol them?

I'm sure no China lover, but I really don't understand. Are WE just trying to be the World's super power again?

[Art_from_Ark]

3. The Spratly Islands really aren't near China

They are closer to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, and Taiwan has claim to some of the islands as well. There may be deposits of fossil fuels in or near the islands, which is one reason China wants to set up its own Economic Exclusion Zone that essentially encircles the islands.

[MADem]

6. This is about those fake outposts on reefs that China built.

See pic downthread.

[jtuck004]

14. I read these are hastily constructed, from dredging up silt. Maybe so. The timing, coming on

the heels of the agreements that seemed to be appearing about the TPP, wherein China might lose a bit to Vietnam and the other countries there...

If China can impede shipping they can impede trade they can play defense a while longer?

They grab territory we are gonna have a hard time defending, treaties notwithstanding. We are gonna be too busy with politics and watching cities go underwater a bit more. And Dancing with the Stars, of course.

[MADem]

5. They are military outposts for the purposes of bullying their neighbors and

interfering with free trade--no one is living on them, they are concrete pieces of crap with helipads on them. The purpose is to loom over the free transit of container ships, with the idea that they could fuck over, say, Japan or Taiwan if they wanted to send us a shipment of Toyotas or iPhones, or whatever.

We're the good guys here--unless you want China to tell you that you can't trade with Japan or the PI or other nations unless they give you the OK...?

That sea has always been one of the world's highways--HALF of the world's trade transits through that area. China has NO right to limit transit in that region; they don't own the area where they built that fake island, either.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. This really wouldn't interfere with shipments from Japan or Taiwan to North America

since both countries have sea lanes to North America that can't be blocked by China.

However, shipping lanes to SE Asian countries might be a different matter.

[MADem]

8. Half of the world's trade transits that region.

Not everything that goes through there is finished goods, either. If nations cannot get the raw materials to produce their products, it doesn't matter if the final product is heading out through a different shipping lane. Half the world's oil transits that area, too.

This article is from three years ago--things have gotten worse since then:

http://nation.time.com/2012/07/15/the-south-china-sea-from-bad-to-worse/

The Chinese want to bully their neighbors, and they especially want to stick it to Taiwan and Vietnam. They should not be permitted to get away with this nonsense.

[Art_from_Ark]

9. I will agree that things have gotten worse in the meantime

For example, Abe was able to get his "Remilitarize Japan" ("Ampo Hoan&quot act passed recently because of this situation.

[MADem]

10. While everyone is looking at the Middle East, this may be where the shit hits the fan.

It is a matter of grave concern, and the Chinese are out of line. They've no right to engage in blockade behavior, or even assert authority over a portion of the globe that has historically belonged to all of us.

[Art_from_Ark]

11. They've also been busy making veiled threats to the Philippines this year

http://www.ibtimes.com/retired-general-says-china-could-reclaim-disputed-south-china-sea-reef-philippines-2017354

[Nitram]

15. The U.S. is not "patrolling" them.

Our navy is defending the universal right to free passage in international waters. Believe me, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines and other nations appreciate that.

[MADem]

4. Screw China. They are trying to blockade a sea that half of the world's shipping

transits.

They do NOT OWN THAT SEA. And plunking fake islands in it--on reefs that should be protected from that kind of nonsense-- doesn't make a bit of difference--those aren't "islands" -- they're as "island" as a doggone oil rig is.

This is a trade issue that affects the entire globe. China has no right to set up what amounts to a toll road on a public highway, and that is what they are trying to do. They can interfere with the ability of other nations to trade with one another by blockading this area and trying to claim it as their own.

It belongs to everyone.



http://www.wsj.com/articles/china-expands-island-construction-in-disputed-south-china-sea-1424290852

[Sherman A1]

12. Yes, it could

which is why they need to get their backsides off those man-made islands and not interfere with freedom of navigation.

[Turbineguy]

13. Sounds like he's worried

we'll use our eye to punch him in the fist.

[Nitram]

16. I'm looking forward to the first big typhoon that comes by and makes them disappear. nt

[MisterP]

17. don't worry, USN has plenty of breeches buoys to get your sailors out of the waves