Not going to address every line item Climax but some key points you made I like to respond to.
You saying that Vietnam, Fillipinos or Malaysia (and seem like China alway forget about Malay in their complain) was building first, but of course we do it first, because at before 1988, China's nowhere in Spratly.
The disputed has hardest part: China's claim, which was not only Spratly and Paracel, but also 90% of SCS, but no detail to explain what is it and what come along with it.
That's the misconception either rival claimants intentionally or subconsciously make. China sees Taiwan's claims and actions in the SCS as part of its own, you know, the one China principle which they have the UN and the US accepting. So prior to 1988, China's presence in the Spratlys would be based on Taiwan's administration of Taiping Island. And there wasn't any reclamation going on then but as you say, the rival claimants started first. So again, on this principle, China is not the offender. It decided to go big and now all the rivals are fretting over it.
I do believe China is intentionally being ambiguous on it's dashes because it gives them an advantage. However, before the bashing begins, I like to ask what exactly is Vietnam's claims because I've searched high and low and found very little on the official claim. Some media maps show Vietnam's lines reaching out to 80% of the SCS so perhaps the ambiguity serves Vietnam's interests as well. Malaysia's and Brunei's are rather straightforward as they only use the EEZ argument. The Philippine's seems to make an open declaration of its claims but it too is overreaching. None of the western most Spratlys are within the Philippine EEZ but they make a land claim based on Marcos's decree that was decades later than China/Taiwan's claims. It draws an EEZ boundary against Taiwan that maximizes it's 200 nm boundary and neglects Taiwan's (doesn't work that way). So the hardest part isn't just China's claim. Both Vietnam and the Philippine's claims are just as difficult and the fact that neither of them have shown any gestures of compromising means China holding firm isn't the odd man out. There was a joint marine seismic undertaking a few years back but the Philippines had to pull the sovereignty issue into play. Vietnam didn't want to join but they did a 180 and hopped on board. So the one chance of joint development was scuttled.
Most Chinese forget Paracel was a disputed also, which was reclaiming non-stop by China.
Actually most Chinese will probably tell you Vietnam is the one reneging on its acknowledgement of China's territorial claims in 1958. It is the same govt in place today that made this acknowledgement. Most Chinese will simply view Vietnam trying to take their territory.
And don't try to be stupid, at before 2010, did China had enough resource and power to do this kind of reclamation !?
China Govt planned it, and when time has came, do it.
I would advise you to refrain from the insults. It is such actions that make the mods lock these threads up.
There's no doubt the US makes plans for nuclear war. Does that mean the US intends to start one? So your statement makes no sense. It would be a failure of the Chinese planners to not have contingencies for the SCS issue and it's a matter of what will trigger those plans into action.
You can make reclamation on big Islands at Paracel, maybe only Vietnam will complain, but in Spratly, its change status quo, change de facto.
Just your perception. To the Chinese, Vietnam's constant refining of their possessions in the SCS is upsetting the status quo so they need to counter.
So there was not provocative activity or hypocrite from Vietnam or other party.
China Govt was accused because they tried to change de facto, made reef under wanter become big Islands, this will give China a advantge in bilaterally way negotiation.
Vietnam can do the same things, but not fast as China did. Joshuatree had post one pic about Sand Cay as proof.
Not true, at the beginning of this thread, I already posted more pics and links to Vietnamese reclamation. The reclamation at Cornwallis South Reef is reclamation on a reef, not an island.
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