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April 20th, 2016 
Awake Goy 
Christof Lehmann (nsnbc) : A Chinese military aircraft made the first “official” landing on the disputed Spratly Island in the South China Sea. China’s territorial claims within what it designates as the nine-dotted-line conflict with territorial claims, economic and security concerns of several neighboring countries including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.
China continues expanding the Spratly archipelago and other islands and archipelagos in the South China Sea. China officially maintains that it does not intend to use Spratly Island militarily against neighboring countries and that it develops sovereign Chinese territories.
Beijing has, however, built a 3,000 meters-long runway on the Fiery Cross Reef and announced that it plans to “develop” more archipelagos and build more “infrastructure”. China launched extensive dredging and land development programs in the region for more than one year ago. The program spans over at least seven archipelagos and reefs.
Civilian flights to Spratly began in January 2016. The first official landing of a military jet on the island renews concerns among China’s neighbors that it attempts to assert its territorial claims by underpinning them with a military presence.
China, on the other hand, maintains that it has a responsibility to participate in “securing international shipping lanes” in the region. More than $5 trillion of world trade is shipped through the South China Sea every year.
Besides China’s territorial claims in the area, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims. Indonesia meanwhile, has asserted that it maintains a neutral position with regard to the territorial disputes in the South China Sea and it attempts to mediate. However, Indonesia keeps a watchful eye on the situation and commissioned 12 submarines for its Navy.
China’s territorial claims within the nine-dotted-line conflict, among others, with Vietnam’s 200 miles economic exclusion zone (EEC). Although some analysts tout Vietnam’s position as “pro-American”, Vietnam does, arguably, not need the USA to make a point in Beijing.
The one and only war China has waged since the end of WW II was against Vietnam, during the 1970s, and it withdrew quietly, swiftly, and with a bloodied nose that cost thousands of Chinese troops their lives.
Vietnam has, not unlike China, had a lot of time to gather experience in coping with “anti-imperialism”, be it French, American or Chinese. It does, however, maintain good relations with all of its former foes.
Vietnam is, along with Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and other nations in the region aiming at developing trade and other ties with China while asserting their sovereignty and integrity.
One of Vietnam’s concerns is that regional – provincial Chinese Coast Guard officials could “go rogue” and, not necessarily under Beijing’s orders, protect illegal fishing in Vietnamese waters.
The validity of these Vietnamese concerns have recently been exacerbated after Malaysia summoned the Chinese Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur over concerns about coast guard and fishing vessels. In late March the Chinese ambassador to Kuala Lumpur was summoned after the Malaysian Coast Guard stressed that it had observed some 100 Chinese-flagged fishing boats encroaching on Malaysian waters in the South China Sea.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry has since then stated that the Malaysian Coast Guard had observed the Chinese-flagged fishing boats, adding that these boats were accompanied by a Chinese Coast Guard vessel. The Foreign Ministry explained that it had summoned Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia, Huang Huikang, to seek clarification.
The regional dispute has been exacerbated by the presence of U.S. naval forces in the region. The United States, on the other hand, also claims that its presence in the region aims at “securing international shipping lanes”. There have been several rows between China and the USA after military posturing incidents. The Chinese and U.S. naval forces have opened a permanent channel of communication to de-escalate the situation.
CH/L – nsnbc 19.04.2016
Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/04/19/landing-of-chinese-military-plane-on-spratly-island-concerns-south-china-sea-neighbors/
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