It’s now been nearly a year since the world woke up to what Beijing was doing in the South China Sea.
Early in 2015, satellite images seemed to show that China had embarked on a rather ambitious land reclamation effort in the Spratlys a disputed island chain claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.
As the months wore on it became readily apparent that this was no small project. Ultimately, China would build 3,000 acres of new sovereign territory atop reefs in the area much to the chagrin of Washington’s regional allies.
Especially disconcerting for the US was the construction of a giant runway on Fiery Cross Reef (one of the artificial islands).
It’s long enough to land military aircraft and just last month, Beijing began to land planes on the man-made outpost.
China also build a number of other things on the islands including cement factories, greenhouses, ports, and a lighthouse.
Beijing contends it has every right to continue its construction efforts. In fact, China says it can forcibly expel other nations from the area if it so chooses.
As the summer wore on, the situation devolved into a war of words between Beijing and Washington with each accusing the other of acting “aggressively” in the Pacific. Each side also swore up and down that in the end, the “agression would not stand – man.”
The staring contest lasted until late October when, after months of deliberation, the Obama administration sent a warship to the islands in what Washington called a “freedom of navigation” exercise.
Fortunately, China didn’t shoot at the vessel, but Beijing was profoundly displeased. The Pentagon patted itself on the back for reasserting America’s right to control the shipping lanes through which some $5 trillion in global trade pass each year and Washington promptly decided to conduct the exercises several times per quarter.
As it turns out the US has so far kept its promise. Late last week the USS Curtis Wilbur, a guided missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton island.
China is not happy.
“The so-called freedom of navigation plans and acts that the United States has upheld for many years in reality do not accord with generally recognised international law,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a daily news briefing on Monday.
Lu didn’t stop there. He also accused the US of “ignoring numerous littoral states’ sovereignty and security and maritime rights [on the way to] seriously harming relevant regional peace and stability.”
And just to drive the point home, Lu delivered the following sharply worded assessment:
“Its essence is to push the United States’ maritime hegemony in the name of freedom of navigation, which has always been resolutely opposed by most of the international community, especially certain developing nations. What the United States has done is dangerous and irresponsible.”
What’s particularly interesting there is that it was just last month when we reported that Japan is set to build a missile blockade in the East China Sea in order to keep China from exerting complete control over regional waters.
In other words, both sides say the other is attempting to establish maritime hegemony. Of course there’s one glaring difference: these are waters are nowhere near the US mainland. Why should the US get to decide what goes on in China’s backyard?
via Zero Hedge http://ift.tt/1PRflQ7 Tyler Durden