Time: Chinese Media Has Told Rex Tillerson to ‘Prepare for a Military Clash’
The U.S. Secretary of State nominee has provoked fury with his hawkish remarks on the South China Sea
China’s state media has responded forcefully to suggestions by U.S. Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson that China should be barred from the artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea, warning that any such attempt would force a “devastating confrontation” and both sides should “prepare for a military clash.”
On Wednesday, Tillerson told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Beijing’s ongoing island-building strategy in the busy waterway — through which $5 trillion of trade passes annually — was illegal and “akin to Russia’s taking of Crimea.”
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WNU Editor: This is what got the Chinese all upset .... Tillerson says China should be barred from South China Sea islands (Reuters). More here .... South China Sea: Tillerson says US should block China from new islands (BBC).
Update #1: This is the Chinese Global Times editorial .... Is Tillerson’s bluster just a bluff for Senate? (Global Times)
Update #2: The Chinese rhetoric is escalating .... Will China Go To War With US? Communist Party Pledges Nuclear Fight Over South China Sea Disputed Islands (International Business Times)
Update #3: China's U.S. experts are trying to calm everyone .... ‘Keep calm and don’t overreact’ to hawkish US talk, say Chinese analysts (South China Morning Post).
More News On Chinese State Media Warning Of "Full-Scale War" With US Over South China Sea
South China Sea: China media warn US over 'confrontation' -- BBC
Chinese tabloid says U.S. needs to 'wage war' to block off South China Sea islands -- Reuters
Chinese state media slams Tillerson over South China Sea -- CNN
Chinese media: Tough US line on South China Sea islands would risk war -- DW
Chinese state media tells Donald Trump's team to 'prepare for military clash' -- The Independent
Trump risks 'war' with Beijing if US blocks access to South China Sea, state media warns -- The Guardian
Chinese media warns of 'war' with US after Tillerson stirs S. China Sea row -- The Telegraph
South China Sea: Paul Keating says Rex Tillerson threatening to involve Australia in war -- ABC News Online
'No access': Rex Tillerson sets collision course with Beijing in South China Sea -- The Guardian
Why Trump and Tillerson could make waves for US-China relations -- Ashley Townshend, CNN
Did Rex Tillerson just move the US closer to war with China? -- David Iaconangelo, CSM
5 comments:
Frankly a war with China unless it goes nuclear is not one the American military is in any shape to be able to be able to keep competitive much less actually win. We need to focus on renegotiating the trade agreements. Such escalations in tensions are not going to be helpful to get this done. Meanwhile certain US leaders are focusing on a side issue of should Vladimir Putin be called a "war criminal."
Like it or not Russia and China are very powerful countries who we are going to need to have, at a minimum, non hostile to us. It would be far better to have them as allies. Perhaps that is not achievable.
Essentially who controls what in the South China Sea is a power struggle between the nations of this region. There is no reason for the United States to be involved in this. Currently the United States is heavily dependent upon "made in China." As such, the main objective of the United States here should be to ensure the relevant shipping lanes to deliver "made in China" to the US market remain open and stable. As we are able to increase our own production over time, this would become less important. At which time, we may be able to disengage entirely from this region enabling us to focus more fully on our domestic issues that badly need to be addressed.
Presumably "sold to USA" is going to be important to China. As such, they would/should want to all they can to ensure the various shipping lanes necessary to facilitate this remain open, viable, and stable, Unfortunately the US currently needs "made in China" more than China needs "sold to USA."
Can the dealmaker and his team negotiate from a position of weakness? While I don't necessarily like game analogies to real life, poker may be applicable here. Can the dealmaker and his team make the best out of a situation when they (the US) have a very bad hand relative to what nations like China and Russia have and make the most of it? In this case, they are not going to "bluff" them. To do so, would make them look extremely stupid and by extension make America look extremely stupid.
Bottom line, I fail to see how saying one is going to bar China from artificial islands they built can be helpful let alone achievable. When in a hole, the first thing one needs to do is STOP DIGGING!! At some point earnest negotiations will need to begin. I can only hope and pray that, at that time, that the parties will be respectful toward one another.
The big problem with the case of the South China Sea is to create a precedent. That's absolutely dangerous because it could be generalized all around the world. And if we are not at war with China for this case we could be engulf in an other one from anywhere else.
China's not the first one to "milatarize" a disputed Island/shoal in the South China Sea.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Paracel_Islands
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Harnett_County_(LST-821)
China is the first to do so on a large scale and be in a position to militarily enforce it. Huge difference.
China needs to be careful what they wish for, it is a conventional conflict that most respected military analysts confirm tbat China cannot win, not even close.
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