China's SCS Strategy Thread

[Jeff Head]

I think China may ultimately allow some patrol operations from one of its new SCS bases...but only on a temporary, rotational basis. As a good will gesturer perhaps.

But I do not believe they will allow permanent basing of US, Australian, or other nation's military or coast guard forces on those islands.

That's just my opinion on it.

 

[Blitzo]

Like I said the Foreign Minister didn't get the memo.
Seriously though PRC's foreign minister really lacks accountability where the left hand is oblivious of what the right hand is doing.

Do you have a source for that in English, regarding Wang Yi's denial?

Because reading English news media it seems like what he said was that the media was hyping up the issue of the missiles and ignoring other positive developments in his opinion such as public goods and what not offered by the islands... I haven't yet read anything about him outrightly denying that there were missiles there.

 

[SamuraiBlue]

Do you have a source for that in English, regarding Wang Yi's denial?

Because reading English news media it seems like what he said was that the media was hyping up the issue of the missiles and ignoring other positive developments in his opinion such as public goods and what not offered by the islands... I haven't yet read anything about him outrightly denying that there were missiles there.

Don't know if it is the source but here you are;

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Basically the guy is floundering in front of the media.

 

[Blitzo]

Don't know if it is the source but here you are;

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Basically the guy is floundering in front of the media.

I think there's been some miscommunication and/or mistranslation, because I think Mr Wang Yi had instead said that foreign media had been "hyping up" the story, rather than "fabricating".

From the same news site:

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Don't get me wrong, I can understand why it would be attractive for you to believe that he was lying and/or floundering, but it seems unlikely that he would claim that no missiles were deployed on the islands and that the entire story was a media fabrication, but very likely that his statement could be misinterpreted and/or mistranslated.

 

[SamuraiBlue]

I think there's been some miscommunication and/or mistranslation, because I think Mr Wang Yi had instead said that foreign media had been "hyping up" the story, rather than "fabricating".

From the same news site:

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=====

Don't get me wrong, I can understand why it would be attractive for you to believe that he was lying and/or floundering, but it seems unlikely that he would claim that no missiles were deployed on the islands and that the entire story was a media fabrication, but very likely that his statement could be misinterpreted and/or mistranslated.

I don't think he was lying, basically it happened before where the foreign ministry wasn't informed of what the military indicative of the power structure within the Politburo in which he is not a part of.

 

[Blitzo]

I don't think he was lying, basically it happened before where the foreign ministry wasn't informed of what the military indicative of the power structure within the Politburo in which he is not a part of.

Hard to make that claim I think -- having done a bit more searching, it seems more and more likely that the original phrase "fabrications of media" should have been translated as "story hyped by the media".

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For instance, in this rendition it goes by:

China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, said the reports were an attempt by “certain western media to create news stories”.

“As for the limited and necessary self defence facilities China has built on islands and reefs stationed by Chinese personnel, that is consistent with the self defence and self preservation China is entitled to under international law,” Mr Wang said.

In other words, the "create news stories" part of Mr Wang's statement seems to be a reflection of his opinion that the report was being hyped up by media, and is not suggestive of any sort of denial from the FM that there were missiles there.
To infer from that statement that there is some kind of power structure within the govt that should make the Foreign Minister unaware of such an important fact would be a stretch of the imagination, considering the much more sensible alternative explanation.

 

[AssassinsMace]

Do you really need to drag in Japan which in a completely different situation compared to PRC to justify your case?
Basically you are grabbing for straws.

Too bad. Same issues since Japan has been politically vocal on what's happening in the South China Sea. I wonder why?

 

[SamuraiBlue]

Basically we will not be told of the truth but like I said PRC's Foreign Affairs Ministry had dropped the ball before not being informed of what PLA was doing so it can easily happen again.

 

[SamuraiBlue]

Too bad. Same issues since Japan has been politically vocal on what's happening in the South China Sea. I wonder why?

I don't recall Japan threatening other nations or placing missiles on disputed territory. Please fresh my memory of those incidents.

 

[Blitzo]

Basically we will not be told of the truth but like I said PRC's Foreign Affairs Ministry had dropped the ball before not being informed of what PLA was doing so it can easily happen again.

I'm not sure which cases you are referring to "before," but in this case it is probably a stretch to consider it given what the FM's specific statements.