Chinese Naval Threat to SEA?

advill, for your info, US of A didn't sign UNCLOS at all. Not sounding too aggressive, we would most problably consider US as one of the "model citizen" of the world, and bottomline is, US's conduct at pretty much everywhere of the world, others do not have too much saying to it - but that dose not change the fact that many things dose not solved by iron hand arbitrations.

Let's be constructive rather than arbitrative.

this can be useful as a SEA thread, rather than posting each SEA related countries news separately

or a new SEA-Sino military thread

Red___Sword said:

advill, for your info, US of A didn't sign UNCLOS at all. Not sounding too aggressive, we would most problably consider US as one of the "model citizen" of the world, and bottomline is, US's conduct at pretty much everywhere of the world, others do not have too much saying to it - but that dose not change the fact that many things dose not solved by iron hand arbitrations.

Let's be constructive rather than arbitrative.

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That's because "you can't but you know I can, and you know you don't want me to do that, so let's play nice, my way". Despite all the conventions and accords, the world is just as Darwinian as it ever was.

international maritime law only allows you to claim a certain distance from your coast. china has exceeded this "maximum" claim. imagine US laying claim to every ocean that is not territorial waters of another country and call it their maximum! i think you get the point on just how much china is claiming now...

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And if China's coastline is defined to include islands under its control, then China would a certain degree of control in South China Sea. But don't panic, it's very little, only 12 nautical miles. So if China controlled every island and islet in the Spratly Islands, draw circles around each island with a 12 nm radius. That is TINY. There is still PLENTY of sea for international shipping to pass through.

The largest economic boost for China, or any claimant, is grabbing the 200 nm Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around each of the islands. Now draw circles around every island with a radius of 200 nm. That is a lot of ocean in which only Chinese vessels could fish and develop gas fields.

If territorial waters cover the whole of a waterway as in the neighborhood of Singapore international shipping, naval as well as merchant shipping, still has the right of innocent passage. The one waterway where special rules apply is the one between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. That excluded ships with a gun caliber larger than 6" (? ) and aircraft carriers.
US claims to be protecting freedom of the sea in South East Asia are plainly absurd.

US claims to be protecting freedom of the sea in South East Asia are plainly absurd.

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The USN has been patrolling the Pacific since since after WWI. The reason is to keep the sea lanes open to allow for the free flow of commerce. And they have remained opened.

bd popeye said:

The USN has been patrolling the Pacific since since after WWI. The reason is to keep the sea lanes open to allow for the free flow of commerce. And they have remained opened.

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Until the US decides to close it to certain countries.

Would the US be content if it was the PLAN patrolling the Pacific (or the Gulf of Mexico would be a better like-for-like example) giving the same promises of free navigation as those currently offered by the USN?

Has China ever even hinted for a second that the South China Sea would be closed to all foreign traffic if under Chinese sovereignty? Yet we hear all those baseless claims about 'threats to free navigation' nonsense as an excuse for the US to get involved in territorial disputes that have absolutely nothing to do with America.

The USN patrols the worlds Oceans for the benefit of the USA first and foremost, and the USN will happily deny access to any and all parties at a word from the White House.

Things are what they are. There is no reason or point to sugar coat it.

bd popeye said:

The USN has been patrolling the Pacific since since after WWI. The reason is to keep the sea lanes open to allow for the free flow of commerce. And they have remained opened.

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The US has been patrolling the Pacific at least since 1898, when they acquired the Philippines as a colony from Spain. My point is that if the area would be covered by territorial waters it would still not be closed to either merchant or naval ships as it is an international waterway.

triple post

only people who are scared of Chinas rise are the ones who have commited crimes against China in the past, otherwise everyone see China rise as only positive