Wednesday, September 26, 2018

The U.S. Has Changed The Narrative In The South China Sea

A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress takes off from Andersen Air Force Base (AFB), Guam, August 24, 2016. Reuters

Business Insider: The US is walking all over Beijing with regular B-52 bomber flights in the South China Sea

* The US military again flew B-52 nuclear capable bombers through the South China Sea, refusing to back down to China's claims over the waterway.
* China strongly protests any US military presence in the South China Sea, but lately the US isn't paying any attention to them.
* The US has picked up sailing and flying through the region at such a high frequency that it's not even unusual anymore, meaning they've won a battle over the South China Sea's narrative without firing a shot.

The US military has stepped up to regularly challenge Beijing's dominance in the South China Sea and has achieved one of its main missions — controlling the narrative — with the help of B-52 nuclear-capable bombers.

For years, Beijing has laid unilateral and illegal claims to about 90% of the South China Sea, a rich shipping lane where trillions of dollars in annual trade pass and untold billions in oil resources lie.

Through environmentally damaging dredging, China built up island fortresses around the waterway.

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WNU Editor: The Chinese are going to wait this one out, believing that with time (i.e. 10, 20, or 30 years from now), the U.S. focus will shift elsewhere. As for its neighbors, China is not hesitating in enforcing its claims in the South China Sea.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I get it that china feels encircled by western leaning nations with free people. And I get it that for strategic reasons they must keep a buffer zone. But common. They're claiming the largest territory/water body on earth. No one ever has gotten away with something like this without war. Wnu correct me if I'm wrong. So there either will be war, or China and the rest of the world can come to some agreement. Maybe instead of the typical 200 nautical miles of shore, we can grant them 201 miles or something. But certainly not the thousands of miles they want. It's just insane. Look at the 9dash claim. Deep into Vietnamese area. How would you feel if someone claims all the water body - thousand miles across Vietnam, which is super long/has a very long coastline there. It's just not right. On top all the other countries there would have to give up their own claims. The Philippines, Japan. It's just stupid. And these countries are now getting better militaries to further contain China. So by being so aggressive (eg beating up fishermen from Japan), China is creating militaries around itself. Why don't they see that? I thought they are so smart lol. They now have lost the chance to dominate the south china sea. Japan is on the rise again! After 70 years of pacifism. ..China is led by idiots in my eyes. They also fcked up their north korea chance and there might be a western influenced reunited state at their border soon. Failure after failure and you and others keep blabbing this narrative of smart strategic Chinese. Lol on top they got 20% of their economy already trashed in the trade war. And will lose face perhaps. Not a good year for china at all

Anonymous said...

In 10 years China will be claiming more seas than the South China sea. Why is China building a large fleet of ice breakers since they believe so devoutly in Global Warming? Right now they make claims to Japanese held islands. In 10 years when they have 4 or 5 carrier battle groups might they lay claims to the Alaska Archipelago and give their new ice breakers something to do? Hawaii? Central Pacific islands? I think highly likely.

I expect them to make vast claims to territory as they continue to build a vast military. The cats out of the bag with them.

Roger Smith said...


Not to mention that they signed some agreement about the area years ago which, in typical Chinese fashion, they now ignore.
I repeat my call for the rest of the world making their own islands out there backed by Dr. Ford's family recollections. Heck, we can even throw in Kavanuagh's latest accuser, who seems to doubt her own memory, to back up our own island building foray.
I wonder how much what's his name's "The Asian Pivot" had in Chinese decision making?