Saturday, June 14, 2014

China will not have to square off militarily or so they think, they are building their own island to get around it

Chinese oil rig Haiyang Shi You 981 is seen surrounded by ships of China Coast Guard in the South China Sea, about 210 km (130 miles) off shore of Vietnam May 14, 2014.  REUTERS-Nguyen Minh

A Chinese official said on Friday that China will never send military forces to the scene of an increasingly ugly spat with Vietnam over an oil rig in the South China Sea, and accused Hanoi of trying to force an international lawsuit.
China claims about 90 percent of the South China Sea, but parts of the potentially energy-rich waters are also subject to claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. 

China is also involved in a territorial dispute in the East China Sea with Japan.
Scores of Vietnamese and Chinese ships, including coastguard vessels, have squared off around the rig despite a series of collisions after the platform was towed to the area in early May.

China to Build 'Artificial Island' in Disputed Waters to get around island dispute

                                 Image: A view of Johnson South Reef, known to China as Chigua Reef and which the Philippines calls Mabini Reef, in the South China Sea
China May Build 'Artificial Island' in Disputed Waters:  That installation, located in the hotly contested Fiery Cross Reef – which China, Vietnam and the Philippines all claim – is already home to a Chinese observation post which provides logistical support for Chinese military assets in the region. In the article, Li Jie, a naval expert at the Chinese Naval Research Institute explained that the expansion plans could possibly include the construction of an airstrip and port.

If the proposal is approved, such facilities would provide China with a stronger hub from which to project its naval and air strength over other claimants in the region.


China's State Enterprises Told to Stop Investing in Vietnam


China Confirms No Intention of Responding to Court's Approach or arbitration



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