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Planned US provocative move in South China Sea risks destabilizing the region
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The United States could shoot itself in the foot if it proceeds with planned naval patrols in the adjacent waters off China’s islands in the South China Sea, as such provocation will risk creating miscalculation and destabilizing the region.
US military officials and government spokespersons have recently indicated the country’s intention to send navy ships to sail within 12 nautical miles of the islands where China has recently done reclamation work, in a move deliberately designed to challenge China’s territorial claims.
Such a plan contradicts Washington’s public statement that it takes no stand over the territorial claims by six parties in the South China Sea region. The US says it will do so in order to exert so-called rights of freedom of navigation as the international law allows.
But, the fact is China has never done anything to infringe upon the freedom of navigation in the region. On the contrary, China has a vested interest in protecting such rights as most of its flow of commerce in foreign trade passes through the sea lanes in the region.
It is a fallacy for Washington to claim that such a step is designed to prevent the militarization of the South China Sea while China has already pledged that it has no intention to pursue militarization of the newly reclaimed islands.
Slap in its own face
Beijing has clearly stated that its construction of facilities in the region is mainly for the purposes of maintenance, improving living conditions for the stationed personnel and providing common goods to the international community by offering service to foreign ships sailing in the region.
The US move, if carried out, will leave China no choice but to beef up its defense capabilities. Furthermore, it will be a slap in its own face if the United States resorts to military intimidation to exert alleged rights, because it has been calling for the claimant countries to settle their maritime disputes through peaceful means.
No doubt that if Washington goes ahead with the patrol plan, it should bear responsibility for escalating tensions in the region, raising danger of miscalculation, and complicating the efforts to seek diplomatic resolution of the disputes.
Washington should also be clear-eyed to the fact that some claimants in the region, such as the Philippines, a US ally, will be encouraged by the US move to take more provocative steps to challenge China and destabilize the region.
China has already urged the United States to avoid taking the provocative step in the South China Sea at a time when the China-US relationship has just improved due to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit in late September.
During the visit, Xi and his host US President Barack Obama renewed their commitment to building a “new model of major-country relationship” featuring no confrontation, no conflict, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.
They also promised to further enhance military-to-military ties and expand cooperation on a wide range of issues for the benefit of both peoples and the world as a whole.
So, it will be a grave mistake for the United States to use military means to challenge China, as it will inevitably damage the newly-generated positive momentum in the bilateral ties and could lead to dangerous misunderstanding between the two militaries.
Washington boasts the strongest military power in the world, but this by no means justifies its act of bullying any other country at its will. China has every right to defend its rights and strategic interests, and will respond to any provocation appropriately and decisively.
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