On Tuesday naval forces of China launched a major manoeuvre in the South China sea. They, according to China radio International, will unfold in the area of the Xisha Islands, where the specified period is closed shipping.
Observers note that the exercises will run until July 11 and will end exactly one day before the permanent court of arbitration in the Hague will rule on the Philippine claim, according to which Manila seeks recognition of unlawful territorial claims of Beijing in the South China sea. Many experts agree that the court will side with Manila, and thus opponents of Beijing will be an occasion to create a large coalition against China.
Recall that China has, for decades, haggling with a number of countries in the region around the territorial jurisdiction of a group of Islands in the South China sea. In the conflict of interests in one degree or another involved in Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines, and the United States, which support opponents of the PRC. The subject of controversy are primarily the Xisha archipelago (Paracel Islands) and Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) and Huangyan (Scarborough reef). This area is an important transport hub in the region, also rich in oil and gas resources.
China has repeatedly stated that they do not intend to accept the decision of the Hague court, and I believe that the question of the “nine-dashed line” (which China refers to their rights to a large part of the South China sea) is related to sovereignty, not to economic zones. According to the statement of Beijing, China was the first country that discovered, described and mastered the Islands of the South China sea, taking them under control. Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs of China Liu Zhenmin said recently that the Philippines filed a lawsuit to “to deprive China of its rights in the South China sea and establish its own rights in this region.” The diplomat stressed that this is the main reason why China refuses to participate in arbitration, and China’s position remains unchanged. Liu Zhenmin also said that China consistently advocates resolving territorial disputes through negotiations on a bilateral basis, as repeatedly discussed at various levels.
Between Washington and Beijing is ripe for a direct military confrontation over the South China sea
The Chinese foreign Ministry also pointed out that today China’s position on South China sea support 47 States. Earlier, foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov said that Russia opposes the internationalization of the problem, and the Ambassador of Russia in China Andrei Denisov said that tensions in the South China sea caused by the intervention of external forces, referring to the actions of the U.S. Navy and Japan.
In this regard, China has warned the United States that the intervention of Washington in territorial disputes in the South China sea is fraught with military confrontation. This statement was published in Chinese English-language newspaper “global times, part of media-holding of the authority of the CPC Central Committee Renmin Ribao. “Although China cannot currently compete with the US in military power, he is quite able to force the United States to pay a very high price if they are force to intervene in the disputes in the South China sea”, — reported in the publication. One of the Chinese English-language newspaper “China daily” said that the case of the disputed Islands has been provoked by the Philippines with the support of the United States to “render China a pariah in the world community.” “It is naive to believe that China will swallow this bitter pill of humiliation,” — said in the publication.
In turn, “Newsweek” wrote that between Washington and Beijing is ripe for a direct military confrontation over the South China sea. According to the publication, the country has never in recent years have not been so close to war.
