China has been warned by the United States to dismantle its missile systems shield deployed in the disputed Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea.
The move, believed to be the first time Washington has directly addressed the issue, came in a statement following high-level talks at last week’s second annual US-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue.
Trade war tensions were expected to dominate the meetings in Washington.
But it was the military buildup in the South China Sea which was brought into sharp focus during discussions between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and their opposite numbers, Beijing’s leading diplomat Yang Jiechi and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe.
“The United States called on China to withdraw its missile systems from disputed features in the Spratly Islands, and reaffirmed that all countries should avoid addressing disputes through coercion or intimidation,” the US statement said.
Concerns have been growing among Southeast Asian nations and Washington that China was slowly establishing an air defense zone around previously uninhabited islands, reefs and atolls in one of the world’s most important sea lanes.
US and allies
Military bases have been constructed as Beijing flouts international law, claiming the islands are integral parts of China.
The US and its allies have been told by President Xi Jinping’s administration to stop sending ships and aircraft near what the world’s second-largest economy considers to be sovereign territory.
In response, Mattis has made it clear that the US will “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.”
During the past year, the US and its allies have conducted maneuvers in the South China Sea, which is vital for global trade with goods and products worth between US$3 trillion and $5 trillion passing through vital sea routes.
“The Chinese side made it clear to the United States that it should stop sending its vessels and military aircraft close to Chinese islands and reefs and stop actions that undermine Chinese authority and security interests,” Senior Foreign Policy adviser Yang said.
Back in June at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Mattis told defense ministers from 28 Asia-Pacific nations about the threat of “militarization” on former barren islands and reefs.
Outlining the problems faced by China’s naval and missile presence in their own backyard, he raised the question of “intimidation and coercion.”
“China’s militarization of artificial features in the South China Sea includes the deployment of anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, electronic jammers, and more recently, the landing of bomber aircraft at Woody Island,” Mattis said at the time.
“Despite China’s claims to the contrary, the placement of these weapons systems is tied directly to military use for the purposes of intimidation and coercion,” he added.
Opening gambit
Yet this is just the opening gambit, according to Patrick G Buchan, who specializes in Indo-Pacific security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
He stressed that China has a long-term strategy and is looking to become the “paramount power” in the region.
“China talks up a big game and understands the value of perpetrating a mythology of its inevitable dominance. It is an attractive and reasonably plausible message. But in this context, it is important to understand China’s endgame – to be the Indo-Pacific’s paramount political, military and economic power,” Buchan said.
“Essentially, China seeks to ease the United States out of the door, deadbolt it, and make sure it doesn’t come back. To this end, China is utilizing all the tools in the statecraft toolkit,” he continued.
“It deploys anti-ship and surface-to-air missile systems on its artificial islands, bullies the United States and allied ships on the high seas, splashes around cheap money, and dictates to foreign airlines how they should refer to Taiwan,” he said. “Across much of the Indo-Pacific, China currently sets the tone of the game. Critically, the United States does not,” Buchan added.
all se asian countries ,tibet, japan7 INDIA HATE CHINA. WANT USA TO SUPRESS CHINA. CHINA IS LAWLESS ROUGUE COUNTRY.
your correct ,trump is a leadeer.but the wromg kind needed now war looms everywhere he and his neocon israeli zionist advisors decide to """sanction"" .the world is smater now and his sanctions can go to hell as far as china russia and iran go. the us military is so badly staffed they haven t won a war since 1945 lost korea lost vietanm lost iraq twice and afhanistan is a bad joke and so is syria .they can t fight becausrt they are gay tansgender freaks of nature!! their weaopon are from the 1960’s the f35 cant fly straight. all loudmouth blather from a wreaked regime!!!
your correct ,trump is a leadeer.but the wromg kind needed now war looms everywhere he and his neocon israeli zionist advisors decide to """sanction"" .the world is smater now and his sanctions can go to hell as far as china russia and iran go. the us military is so badly staffed they haven t won a war since 1945 lost korea lost vietanm lost iraq twice and afhanistan is a bad joke and so is syria .they can t fight becausrt they are gay tansgender freaks of nature!! their weaopon are from the 1960’s the f35 cant fly straight. all loudmouth blather from a wreaked regime!!!
asia times great cia /us propaganda!! no one coerces and bullies more than the us. get the hell out of chinas backyard and also get the hell out of russia’s front door as well as its underbelly .
asia times great cia /us propaganda!! no one coerces and bullies more than the us. get the hell out of chinas backyard and also get the hell out of russia’s front door as well as its underbelly .
Where are the good ole Boy’s? The horse traders. This is easy to fix. We give up our 800 plus bases around the world, suspend sending missles to eastern eurpoe, quit meddling in other nations internal politics and lift all of our sanctions, I’m sure I have missed a lot and then China may, I doubt it, listen to us. Russia and China both are continuingly ignoring us. That says something doesn’t it? "I’ll huff and I’ll puff…….".
Where are the good ole Boy’s? The horse traders. This is easy to fix. We give up our 800 plus bases around the world, suspend sending missles to eastern eurpoe, quit meddling in other nations internal politics and lift all of our sanctions, I’m sure I have missed a lot and then China may, I doubt it, listen to us. Russia and China both are continuingly ignoring us. That says something doesn’t it? "I’ll huff and I’ll puff…….".
Will the Chinese wear the Americans down??——-Thanks to the leadership of George Walker Bush and Barack Hussein Obama——-Excuse me——–I meant LACK of leadership the Chinese think they can do whatever there hearts desire——-and BOOM instead of Madam Peron being elected President the United States citizens decided on someone else———yes boys and girls———–Donald John Trump is the United States President and YES the man is a LEADER——-and yes (for now) the Chinese will back off——–that is how it will play out for a number of years.
Will the Chinese wear the Americans down??——-Thanks to the leadership of George Walker Bush and Barack Hussein Obama——-Excuse me——–I meant LACK of leadership the Chinese think they can do whatever there hearts desire——-and BOOM instead of Madam Peron being elected President the United States citizens decided on someone else———yes boys and girls———–Donald John Trump is the United States President and YES the man is a LEADER——-and yes (for now) the Chinese will back off——–that is how it will play out for a number of years.
Yashad Rizvi
Go and wank your big sausgae, idiot!
Nothing, we have much bigger weapons than you
Nothing, we have much bigger weapons than you
I bet Taiwan, Viet, Jap dont want the Yanks to go home, while the Uighurs and Tibetans want the Chinese to leave
I bet Taiwan, Viet, Jap dont want the Yanks to go home, while the Uighurs and Tibetans want the Chinese to leave
Hey stupid! Those missile installations are for defending China against you!
Hey stupid! Those missile installations are for defending China against you!
This is essentially big power politic. Behind the headline we don’t know what is agreed upon. The headline definitely makes US looks good just what they need to reassure their allies.
This is essentially big power politic. Behind the headline we don’t know what is agreed upon. The headline definitely makes US looks good just what they need to reassure their allies.
In return?
In return?