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A U.S. Admiral is warning of new activity near another disputed island in the South China Sea:
The United States has seen Chinese activity around a reef China seized from the Philippines nearly four years ago that could be a precursor to more land reclamation in the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Navy chief said on Thursday.
The head of U.S. naval operations, Admiral John Richardson, expressed concern that an international court ruling expected in coming weeks on a case brought by the Philippines against China over its South China Sea claims could be a trigger for Beijing to declare an exclusion zone in the busy trade route. Richardson told Reuters the United States was weighing responses to such a move. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.
Richardson said the U.S. military had seen Chinese activity around Scarborough Shoal in the northern part of the Spratly archipelago, about 125 miles (200 km) west of the Philippine base of Subic Bay. "I think we see some surface ship activity and those sorts of things, survey type of activity, going on. That's an area of concern ... a next possible area of reclamation," he said. Richardson said it was unclear if the activity near the reef, which China seized in 2012, was related to the pending arbitration decision.
Asked about Richardson's statement, Lu Kang, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said it was hypocritical for the United States to criticize China for militarizing the region when it carries out its own naval patrols there. "This is really laughable and preposterous," he said. [...] Richardson said he was struck by how China's increasing militarization of the South China Sea had increased the willingness of other countries in the region to work together.
China recently opened up a tsunami alert center, which has also been linked to its claims of jurisdiction in the disputed waters. Japan's ruling party has urged the Prime Minister to seek international arbitration over Chinese drilling activities.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Dunbal on Saturday March 19 2016, @01:36PM
According to America, only America can have bases all over the world.
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Saturday March 19 2016, @03:12PM
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Saturday March 19 2016, @08:49PM
You'd better ask China that: think they'd have a BIT of a problem......
But yeah: do it, then see what the Chinese response is. Could either bring an international response or war. Meh... whatever... ooooooh, something about Trump!lookatthatheissuchaKardashian.....shiny!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by inertnet on Saturday March 19 2016, @09:47PM
Well yes, but how many did they build without asking if the owner of the area had any objections?
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Saturday March 19 2016, @11:58PM
How many "agreements" did they get by using extortion?
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Sunday March 20 2016, @12:49AM
Wait... how'd we get to talking about Microsoft leaning on companies using linux???
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---