China Orders Foreign Fishing Vessels Out Of Most Of The South China Sea -- Washington Free Beacon
New rules issued prior to near collision between U.S. warship and Chinese naval vessel
China has ordered foreign fishing vessels to obtain approval from regional authorities before fishing or surveying in two thirds of the South China Sea, setting up the potential for new confrontations between Beijing and its neighbors over maritime sovereignty claims to disputed islands.
The new orders went into effect Jan. 1 after they were issued late November by Hainan island provincial government authorities.
Under the new regulations, all foreign fishing boats that transit into a new Hainan’s administrative zone in the sea—an area covering two-thirds of the 1.5 million square mile South China Sea—must be approved by Chinese authorities.
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My Comment: It is interesting that these "orders" were issued only a few weeks after Chinese naval forces almost collided with a US missile cruiser .... that then prompted a quick U.S. retreat from the region. Is there a connection .... one can only speculate .... but with US naval forces now out of the region I suspect that the Chinese now feel embolden that they can now do whatever they want to do.
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