While the Philippines is still crowing about their “victory” in the South China Sea Tribunal hearing at the Hague, with China today insisting they don’t consider the Tribunal to mean anything, and that they intend to defend their claims in the South China Sea the same as before.
Indeed, Chinese officials suggested that the Tribunal was little more than a “puppet,” and blamed the US for “stirring up trouble.” China claims 90% of the South China Sea, and the US backs every other nation’s claims in the region to the extent they intersect with China’s.
The Tribunal insisted China had no historic claims to the South China Sea, and further ruled that their islands in the Sea aren’t true islands, and thus aren’t entitled to the usual maritime zones around them, on the grounds that the islands don’t support independent communities.
Taiwan is also mad about the ruling, since it also claimed their only island in the area, which they maintain is literally the only island in the South China Sea, isn’t an island either. Taiwan responded by sending a warship to the area.
Go, Team China! Resist U.S. aggression.
While I am against encircling China with U.S. military bases and a larger military presence in the South China Sea, it looks like China wants to have total control over most of the South China Sea and its shipping lanes. One example is that China claims a small island that is about 60 miles off the coast of the Philippines but is 500 miles from the nearest coast of China.
The U.S. and its puppet (NATO) aggressive moves against Russia could cause a serious escalation leading to war and part of Russia’s battlefield strategy is to use tactical nuclear weapons. A similar confrontation with China is possible, the population is very vulnerable to nationalist propaganda as was scene when the U.S. spy plane was forced down on Hainan island after a collision with a Chinese navy plane.
Hopefully, a peaceful resolution to the South China Sea issues will be found. Unfortunately, it is unlikely if we are relying on the State Department since the recent leaked memo by 50+ State Dept. employees demanding war with Syria shows that our “diplomats” are more blood thirsty and more aggressive warmongers than the Pentagon.