Andrew Tillett Political correspondent Sep 1, 2021 https://www.afr.com/politics/federa...ghten-grip-on-south-china-sea-20210831-p58nfv The Australian navy will defy China’s new edict that foreign ships entering “Chinese territorial waters” will have to declare their presence, saying Australian warships will continue to exercise freedom of navigation under international law. China’s Maritime Safety Administration required from Wednesday foreign ships, including warships and submarines, to report their cargo and call signs, in a move experts warned was intended to cement Beijing’s claim to disputed territories in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Taiwan. Four Australian navy warships completed a transit of the South China Sea in May. Chinese state media warned the failure of military ships to do so would be a “serious provocation and the Chinese military will take over to dispel or take even stronger measures to punish the invaders”. China’s new diktat came as France flagged it would conduct joint transits with Australian warships in the South China Sea, as well as expand military visits to Australia in support of French territories in the Pacific, as China becomes more active in the region........
This should have been aggressively challenged a loooong time ago; and the U.S. should be the main challenger. How does the free world sit by, for this long, and let ANY nation unlawfully claim sole ownership of an international sea.
While you are correct......shouldn't Japan, Australia, Korea really be challenging China's assertion over international waters that border their countries? Getting tiring having to do everything for everyone always though...
I understand many think that way by default, but consider the bigger picturel "For America, then, the future of the current regional order and the security of its allies – Japan and South Korea – is at stake. To maintain its geopolitical position in the western Pacific, the US is obliged to defend the regional alliance system, and reassure local powers who are concerned about China’s intentions. Leaving the South China Sea to the Chinese would undermine that alliance system and America’s presence in the western Pacific. China would become the dominant power in the area and regional countries would gravitate towards it." _______________ https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-south-china-sea-so-important-to-the-us-71477 We have allies not to only benefit those allies. There are strategic and tactical reasons for having the allies we have, in certain places around the globe. Trust that it is for our benefit, as well as the other countries. Supply line security being just one maritime benefit. Despite what Trump says, The US is much much weaker without real alliances. For example, we drafted the agreement that we would be the defender of Japan. The U.S. is not just a country; we are an empire. And you can't be an empire "some of the time." Japan is, essentially, part of the U.S. empire.
Not speaking of military alone because we know Japan and South Korea really have no military to speak of. I meant in the international community. Japan and Korea and Australia are major economic partners for china and if China wants to flex its vagina and stink up the whole ocean, those other countries should step up together and join forces to put pressure on China to stop showing its ass.
China wants to make itself into a global power. Meaning it wants to be anywhere and everywhere asserting its interests. Like we do. But what a lot of people miss is that the US out of Afghanistan dampens the Chinese ability to assert itself in various places including the Pacific and specifically the South China Sea. The border the Chinese share with Afghanistan and by way security, Pakistan now deserves major attention from Chinese security and intelligence forces. Afghanistan is also a drain now on Chinese diplomacy and aid. It will be easy for the Chinese to get lost in Afghanistan relations. The distance between Afghanistan and the South China Sea is a drain. China knows if it gets involved in the East it creates an opportunity for ethnic Muslims in the East to create unrest and disturbance. Lind story short China will have difficulty finding balance if it wants to continue its global expansion.
Japan can fuck off. They invaded us and drew us into WW II. They then went ahead and stole every tech we have and made it 100X better, and sold us all their shit. Why are they whining? Dudes, don't invade America, and maybe you get a pass. But no, you decided to be assholes and "awake the sleeping giant". Seriously, fuck you.
Looking at the rapid price rise of strategic metals, including aluminum, uranium, and copper, especially after Australia indicated they were not going to “Bend their knee” to China, may suggest stock piling in preparation for war. Precious metal prices have not been nearly as strong, suggesting strategic metal prices increases are not part of general inflationary pressure. However, grain prices has been actually declining recently, presumably related to seasonal pressure. However, should grain exports to China and or its allies markedly increase compared to prior years, all alarm bells should be going off. Perhaps China has additional near term border expansion plans and merely wants to be prepared in case of an committed US military response. China has relatively recently “Consolidated” Tibet, clearly showing territorial expansion, at least as related to their known territory claims, is top of mind. Biden’s Asia visit a few months ago was considered underwhelming and US Afghanistan withdrawal issues were poorly anticipated, possibly emboldening Chinese leadership to consider to make a paradigm shifting move during Biden’s term, such as invading Taiwan. Biden’s recent poll drop may be seen as a risk, from the Chinese point of view, of a US leadership change in 2024 to someone potentially more competent. If nothing else, should China invade Taiwan during Biden’s term, the media hysterics over Covid for the benefit of our pharmaceutical companies will be nothing compared to the media hysterics over Taiwan for the benefit of our defense companies. Oh, our aching Federal budget! Or are there more immediate issues I should be worried about in regards to China invading Taiwan?