Posted on 09/17/2011 11:37:56 PM PDT by tsowellfan
It's called the "South China Sea" and China wants everyone to recognize it that way. The only problem? A few other countries feel differently.
It's called the "South China Sea" and China wants everyone to recognize it just that way. There is no question in Beijing's official mind that this body of water is entirely within Chinese sovereignty. The problem is that Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan all have claims to a portion of that immense body of water by virtue of the fact that portions of their countries are bordered by that sea. This is to say nothing of the competing claims over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. The Chinese attitude is that these are all spurious claims and only they -- and their navy and air force -- can lawfully operate on, in, and above these, up till now, international waters. Everyone else should get their permission...
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
China senses a window of opportunity with Obama that would definitely close if a Republican is elected in 2012. Whether they are confident enough about their military expansion to fully exploit it is another question entirely.
The refit of the ex-Varyag in itself is not that significant. The ship’s engines work, but there is no airwing and recent photos have surfaced that indicate they are now installing at least one catapult — which is going to mean at least a couple more months of yard time before they can button her back up and send her out to sea.
My gut feeling is they’re bluffing now. They can squawk and talk, but they don’t “quite” have the weight to do much yet. And hey, bluffing’s cheap.
Why don’t they just buy it?
"By the way, this assertion is now extended to include the East China Sea, much to the consternation of Japan."...
Oh, and the Pacific Ocean too!
Which would cause consternation in the United States were the Americans not too preoccupied with such niceties as protecting darter snails from mean oil company executives, extending welfare to illegal immigrants, electing politicians who just can't do without expensive jet planes to entertain family and friends, completing the work of the 60s hippies--not to mention borrowing more money from China to finance another spending spree--that sort of thing.
That's the decadent 21st century Americans for you! "Borrow more money!"
Meanwhile, the hard working, ascendant peasants (one of whom had been her slave) became richer and richer, bought up more and more of her land, until they kicked the old lady off her throne and wound up living in the old dowager's palace!
Man! If anybody understands the cycles of ascendancy and decadence it's the Chinese!
And if anybody can't learn from history (and thus gets to repeat it) it's the decadent 21st century Americans!
Good analogy
Okay for now, but if you don't have the money, you can't buy the firepower.
Please tell me this is not reality.
Sorry, it’s unfortinately too true.
...we are unveiling its crowning jewel. I am proud to announce that the state of Texas is investing $20 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to help Countrywide Financial...--Governor Ricardo Perry
I heard a brainless U.S. newsreporter (but I repeat myself) on TV a few weeks ago breathless with consternation that the Republicans would not increase the national debt limit: "Can't they understand that we face a national financial crisis?????"
It hadn't occurred to her that borrowing more makes the crisis even worse.
Overlapping claims and disputes are to be pre-negotiated by the interested parties and then submitted to UNCLOS. And, these pre-negotiations would be multi-lateral.
So, in the Arctic, US, Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Russia negotiate within the Arctic Council.
Britain, Argentina, and Chile negotiate within the OAS.
The China Sea nations would negotiate within ASEAN and in the recent ASEAN meeting this was a very prominent subject.
China wants to do it bi-laterally with each nation and they already have a bi-lateral agreement with Japan.
In the eastern Mediterranean Sea Israel and Cypress have a bilateral agreement while Turkey and Lebanon are disputing that agreement.
The Chinese attitude is that these are all spurious claims and only they -- and their navy and air force -- can lawfully operate on, in, and above these, up till now, international waters [the South China Sea]. Everyone else should get their permission...
East Sea ping....
Your post:
“...we are unveiling its crowning jewel. I am proud to announce that the state of Texas is investing $20 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to help Countrywide Financial...
—Governor Ricardo Perry
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10202/ “
Just Wow.
Your post:
“...we are unveiling its crowning jewel. I am proud to announce that the state of Texas is investing $20 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund to help Countrywide Financial...
—Governor Ricardo Perry
http://governor.state.tx.us/news/speech/10202/ “
Just Wow. I hope this quote gets legs.
>>Just Wow. I hope this quote gets legs.
Yep.
The Emperor is walking down the street in his Albatross Un(D)erwear.
Japan has the second-best Navy in the world and growing. Today, even the Indian Navy would challenge China at sea...though the littorals of the South China Sea are more challenging for them.
Of course, the USN transits and lingers at will, unchallenged by all.
The only advantage China has in the South China Sea is the fact they can put 100's of aircraft into the mix from their land bases...but those are not sufficiently capable to take on the USN or Japanese AAW resources.
No, China is blustering simply because nobody has told them to STFU.
I KNOW how such things were handled when Reagan was POTUS. We would hold Naval exercises for 3-4 weeks just outside the 12 mile limit and DARE the bad guys to come out and play. We still have that capability.
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