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posted by cmn32480 on Saturday March 19 2016, @01:09PM   Printer-friendly
from the coral-needs-friends-too dept.

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.


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by fishybell on Saturday March 19 2016, @01:42PM

    by fishybell (3156) on Saturday March 19 2016, @01:42PM (#320413)

    I know it's not the most eyeball-catching headline, but I wish at least one article about what China's doing included talk of how damaging and willful this direct destruction of entire ecosystems is. They want the south-China sea partly for the economic value of the fishing, but if they bury all the reefs under sand, there won't be any other fish to catch. The whole thing devolves (further) into just a dick measuring contest.

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday March 19 2016, @02:49PM

    by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Saturday March 19 2016, @02:49PM (#320427) Journal

    I'll admit that I was not thinking of environmental impact at all when I was in submission mode, even with the word "reef" in the headline. I guess cmn32480 was, given the dept. line.

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Saturday March 19 2016, @08:51PM

    by Gaaark (41) on Saturday March 19 2016, @08:51PM (#320539) Journal

    The whole thing devolves (further) into just a dick measuring contest.

    Man, hope they don't go up against Africa..... you know.... yikes!

    War: no problem.
    Dick measuring contest: ..................................................................................shit.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Saturday March 19 2016, @11:15PM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Saturday March 19 2016, @11:15PM (#320581) Journal

    They want the south-China sea partly for the economic value of the fishing

    You'd really like to think so, don't you?

    How about the strategic influence on the majority of oil traffic routes [businessinsider.com.au]?
    How about the oil [economist.com] reserves [smh.com.au] there (warning: autoplay video clip embedded. Relevant, but still on autoplay).

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 20 2016, @12:44AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 20 2016, @12:44AM (#320604)

      Taiwan has always been a bee in their bonnet. After the South China Sea is consolidated, look for renewed action north of Taiwan at Senkaku Islands. Just like a surrounded piece on a Go board, Taiwan will be captured.