South China Sea and Chinese Military Developments - While everyone is distracted by the pandemic, China's aggression in the SCS grows.

[Reverend]

Yessss finally, for too long the Chinks have been fucking around there with impunity, building their bases and stealing land. Let's hope something comes out of this.

the "other" China ? i.e. Taiwan

 

[Idonttrustlikethat]

Doesn't this happen all the time though.

 

[tehpope]

https://archive.vn/rfWfy

The United States champions a free and open Indo-Pacific. Today we are strengthening U.S. policy in a vital, contentious part of that region — the South China Sea. We are making clear: Beijing’s claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them.

In the South China Sea, we seek to preserve peace and stability, uphold freedom of the seas in a manner consistent with international law, maintain the unimpeded flow of commerce, and oppose any attempt to use coercion or force to settle disputes. We share these deep and abiding interests with our many allies and partners who have long endorsed a rules-based international order.

These shared interests have come under unprecedented threat from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Beijing uses intimidation to undermine the sovereign rights of Southeast Asian coastal states in the South China Sea, bully them out of offshore resources, assert unilateral dominion, and replace international law with “might makes right.” Beijing’s approach has been clear for years. In 2010, then-PRC Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi told his ASEAN counterparts that “China is a big country and other countries are small countries and that is just a fact.” The PRC’s predatory world view has no place in the 21st century.

The PRC has no legal grounds to unilaterally impose its will on the region. Beijing has offered no coherent legal basis for its “Nine-Dashed Line” claim in the South China Sea since formally announcing it in 2009. In a unanimous decision on July 12, 2016, an Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention – to which the PRC is a state party – rejected the PRC’s maritime claims as having no basis in international law. The Tribunal sided squarely with the Philippines, which brought the arbitration case, on almost all claims.

As the United States has previously stated, and as specifically provided in the Convention, the Arbitral Tribunal’s decision is final and legally binding on both parties. Today we are aligning the U.S. position on the PRC’s maritime claims in the SCS with the Tribunal’s decision. Specifically:

• The PRC cannot lawfully assert a maritime claim – including any Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) claims derived from Scarborough Reef and the Spratly Islands – vis-a-vis the Philippines in areas that the Tribunal found to be in the Philippines’ EEZ or on its continental shelf. Beijing’s harassment of Philippine fisheries and offshore energy development within those areas is unlawful, as are any unilateral PRC actions to exploit those resources. In line with the Tribunal’s legally binding decision, the PRC has no lawful territorial or maritime claim to Mischief Reef or Second Thomas Shoal, both of which fall fully under the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction, nor does Beijing have any territorial or maritime claims generated from these features.
• As Beijing has failed to put forth a lawful, coherent maritime claim in the South China Sea, the United States rejects any PRC claim to waters beyond a 12-nautical mile territorial sea derived from islands it claims in the Spratly Islands (without prejudice to other states’ sovereignty claims over such islands). As such, the United States rejects any PRC maritime claim in the waters surrounding Vanguard Bank (off Vietnam), Luconia Shoals (off Malaysia), waters in Brunei’s EEZ, and Natuna Besar (off Indonesia). Any PRC action to harass other states’ fishing or hydrocarbon development in these waters – or to carry out such activities unilaterally – is unlawful.
• The PRC has no lawful territorial or maritime claim to (or derived from) James Shoal, an entirely submerged feature only 50 nautical miles from Malaysia and some 1,000 nautical miles from China’s coast. James Shoal is often cited in PRC propaganda as the “southernmost territory of China.” International law is clear: An underwater feature like James Shoal cannot be claimed by any state and is incapable of generating maritime zones. James Shoal (roughly 20 meters below the surface) is not and never was PRC territory, nor can Beijing assert any lawful maritime rights from it.

The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose “might makes right” in the South China Sea or the wider region.

 

[RodgerDodger]

This should get interesting. Let’s see who China takes a shot at first?

 

[💗Bitchstopher Columbitch💗]

Now watch the media that's owned by China come out and defend them while belittle their own government and country in the process.

Well, they're already saying the American Eagle is a nazi symbol. If we go to war they'll probably double down and start saying everything related to American culture is nazi.

Hopefully liberal Americans will wise up and start noticing which news sources have become nothing but blatant anti-America propaganda outlets.

Right wing MSM is also full of propaganda, but it seems more grounded in reality than left wing stuff at the moment.

 

[heathercho]

Replies are claiming Trump is "trying to start a war to distract from failures here".

Not a week after RussiaGate Part 3: Bounty Boogalee.

This is the blatant hypocrisy of these people out on full display.
They want you to swallow the dick of Burn, Loot, Murder's rhetoric, but look away! when it comes to China's misdeeds, because $.

The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose “might makes right” in the South China Sea or the wider region.

Ultimately this is what it will come down to - EVERYONE banding together against China., because China doesn't care about International Law. They aren't willing to play ball whatsoever.

 

[💗Bitchstopher Columbitch💗]

If we get in a war, we need more memeworthy songs like courtesy of the red white and blue:

We also need better remixes of that song. There's not enough catchy tunes about kicking enemy ass.

 

[Meat Target]

Well, they're already saying the American Eagle is a nazi symbol. If we go to war they'll probably double down and start saying everything related to American culture is nazi.
View attachment 1446437

Hopefully liberal Americans will wise up and start noticing which news sources have become nothing but blatant anti-America propaganda outlets.

Right wing MSM is also full of propaganda, but it seems more grounded in reality than left wing stuff at the moment.

I deigned to go to Twitter just to see the ratio on that one.

 

[A Pox]

Pompeo missed a prime opportunity to really piss off the chink chongs by calling it the Vietnam East Sea.

 

[HumanHive]

So when will the United States renounce its illegal claims on Guam, Hawaii, California, Texas, Alaska, the Dakotas, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico? Oh that’s right, the United States doesn’t need to obey international law. Hypocrites.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

If we get in a war, we need more memeworthy songs like courtesy of the red white and blue:

Or we could play other Asian songs to counter PRC:

 

[reptile baht spaniard rid]

One US covert operation needs to be named Winnie the Poo.

 

[mindlessobserver]

So when will the United States renounce its illegal claims on Guam, Hawaii, California, Texas, Alaska, the Dakotas, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico? Oh that’s right, the United States doesn’t need to obey international law. Hypocrites.

You really dont know what you are talking about, do you. The US has Treaties for all of these territories.

 

[HumanHive]

You really dont know what you are talking about, do you. The US has Treaties for all of these territories.

Unlawful and unequal treaties, of which China is all too familiar.

 

[mindlessobserver]

Unlawful and unequal treaties, of which China is all too familiar.

Vae Victis.

 

[HumanHive]

Vae Victis.

Good. I’m glad we agree that China has every right to the South China Sea.

 

[mindlessobserver]

Good. I’m glad we agree that China has every right to the South China Sea.

No they dont. They have not died for it yet.

 

[HumanHive]

No they dont. They have not died for it yet.

Read Sun Tzu.

 

[mindlessobserver]

Read Sun Tzu.

For what? China has a claim they say is immovable. Everyone else says their claim is crap. I dont need to read sun tzu to know what happens next. China wants territory that others say is theirs.

Such territory is paid for with blood.

 

[HumanHive]

For what? China has a claim they say is immovable. Everyone else says their claim is crap. I dont need to read sun tzu to know what happens next. China wants territory that others say is theirs.

Such territory is paid for with blood.

By all means, fire the first shot.