Saturday, July 29th., 2017
South China Sea is in Epicenter of Int'l Brawls Making ‘Co-Existing’ Impossible
©
AFP 2017/ STR
The
calm in the South China Sea, as many had warned, was illusory.
Moreover, in the summer the situation in the region has become further
aggravated. To add fuel to the fire, recently Hanoi has struck back
following calls from Beijing to stop oil exploration in Block 136-03 of
the South China Sea. Sputnik spoke to an analyst about this issue.
"Vietnam’s
petroleum-related activities take place in the sea entirely under the
sovereignty and jurisdiction of Vietnam established in accordance
with international law," Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry said Friday.
However, Beijing reportedly threatened to attack Vietnamese positions
in the Spratly/Nansha Islands of the sea if an oil discovery operation
led by Spanish oil firm Respol was not called off on July 15.
This incident clearly shows that the tensions that arose after the abolition of joint Chinese-Vietnamese exercises this June are still quite strong.
Furthermore, US President Donald Trump has reportedly approved a plan to give the US Navy more freedom to carry out patrols in the South China Sea.
In order to make sense of what exactly is going on in the South China Sea, Sputnik spoke with an expert at the Center for Strategic Research, Anton Tsvetov.
“UK
Foreign Minister Boris Johnson plans on sending two aircraft carriers
that were just launched to ‘strengthen the rule-based world order,’”
Tsvetov said.
The UK’s modern HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier is the largest
ship built for the UK Royal Navy and it is currently undergoing tests.
The vessel should be approved by the navy by the end of 2017. The second ship, the HMS Prince of Wales, is currently being fitted in a Scottish shipyard.
Meanwhile, China continues to strengthen relations with Roderigo Duterte. During a visit to Manila, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the joint mining of minerals in the South China Sea, which, according to the Philippine president, may begin as early as this year, will become a model for the settlement of territorial disputes.
The North-Natun Sea now complements the list, which already has the West Philippine and Vietnamese East Seas in them.
Tsvetov also noted that currently this sea is not jam-packed, but considering the current pace of naval modernization of various parties involved soon it will not be so easy to coexist for everyone in the South China Sea.
“This increases the risk of an accidental conflict,” the expert concluded.
This incident clearly shows that the tensions that arose after the abolition of joint Chinese-Vietnamese exercises this June are still quite strong.
Furthermore, US President Donald Trump has reportedly approved a plan to give the US Navy more freedom to carry out patrols in the South China Sea.
In order to make sense of what exactly is going on in the South China Sea, Sputnik spoke with an expert at the Center for Strategic Research, Anton Tsvetov.
“Recently, the US media reported that Donald Trump approved a plan
of Defense Minister James Mattis to conduct operations on freedom
of navigation. If the information is correct, these operations will be
held on a regular basis, rather than being approved each time by the
National Security Council,” Tsvetov said.
This move is a clear sign that the US is planning on stepping
up operations in the South China Sea and, according to the expert, there
is another player on the horizon that is slowly nearing the dispute:
the United Kingdom.
©
AP Photo/ Russell Cheyne
The vessel should be approved by the navy by the end of 2017. The second ship, the HMS Prince of Wales, is currently being fitted in a Scottish shipyard.
Meanwhile, China continues to strengthen relations with Roderigo Duterte. During a visit to Manila, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the joint mining of minerals in the South China Sea, which, according to the Philippine president, may begin as early as this year, will become a model for the settlement of territorial disputes.
“Nevertheless, experts who follow the activity of China on the controlled structures in the South China Sea believe that the Chinese military facilities
on the ‘big three’ [Subi, Mischief and Faerie Cross Reefs] are already
giving it unprecedented control over the heart of the disputed water
area,” Tsvetov said.
Perhaps the most harmless way to struggle for influence in the South
China Sea was chosen by Indonesia, announcing a new name for the section
of the sea crossing with the Indonesian exclusive economic zone.The North-Natun Sea now complements the list, which already has the West Philippine and Vietnamese East Seas in them.
“In other words, nothing good is happening in the South China Sea,” Tsvetov said.
He further said, “So far, neither side has demonstrated the ability
to perceive the interests of its counterparties and move away
from radical positions on the question of sovereignty.”Tsvetov also noted that currently this sea is not jam-packed, but considering the current pace of naval modernization of various parties involved soon it will not be so easy to coexist for everyone in the South China Sea.
“This increases the risk of an accidental conflict,” the expert concluded.