Chinese terra-forming in the South China Sea

[Eight]

So, we're getting all butt hurt because China is doing what Japan has been doing for a decade now? I wonder why that's not being mentioned.

Has Japan been piling up sand on natural reefs, topping them with air bases and claiming it's new island territory along with a 12 mile air/sea exclusion zone? If so I am against that too.

 

[T.Lex]

So, we're getting all butt hurt because China is doing what Japan has been doing for a decade now? I wonder why that's not being mentioned.

Has Japan been piling up sand on natural reefs, topping them with air bases and claiming it's new island territory along with a 12 mile air/sea exclusion zone? If so I am against that too.

I, too, am curious what Japan has done that is anything remotely similar to this.

 

[Birds Away]

 

[T.Lex]

So, this is interesting. Gun boat diplomacy gets snubbed.

China Refuses Hong Kong Port Call to U.S. Aircraft Carrier - WSJ

The Chinese government refused to allow the U.S. aircraft carrier John C. Stennis to visit Hong Kong, U.S. officials said Friday, a military and diplomatic snub that comes amid strained relations over the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong told the U.S. Embassy on Thursday that it wouldn't allow the Stennis and four accompanying vessels to make a scheduled stop in Hong Kong for a long-planned port stay of about five days beginning May 3.

...
The Stennis, which was returning from the South China Sea, had just hosted a visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter earlier this month.

And then, this was SUPER interesting...

Last week, the U.S. flew A-10C Thunderbolt II warplanes near Scarborough Shoal, located about 120 nautical miles off mainland Philippines, in a demonstration of American commitment to the region and a signal to Beijing, which as recently as a month ago was surveying the shoal for possible military use.

Flying a land based attack aircraft over a maritime location is pretty strong. It also kinda reminds me of a book, I think it was Red Storm Rising, that had the A-10s attack Soviet navy vessels. That'd be an interesting battle.

 

[T.Lex]

So... in other news....

China deploys folk singer to disputed Spratly Islands - BBC News

The performance by Song and a 50-strong troupe of navy entertainers included magic tricks and songs such as "Ode to the South Sea Defenders".

Magic tricks? Oh, like making islands appear in the ocean. Cool.

 

[T.Lex]

South China Sea: The mystery of missing books and maritime claims - BBC News

We came to the fishing port of Tanmen, on Hainan's east coast, because of recent state media reports about the existence of an extraordinary document - a 600-year-old book containing evidence of vital, national importance.
...

But then, when I ask to see the document - the existence of which was, just a few weeks ago, being so widely reported in China and beyond - there's a surprising development.
Mr Su tells me it doesn't exist.
"Although the book was important, I threw it away because it was broken," he says.
...

But in recent years, the number of militiamen on fishing boats is reported to be increasing and their actions appear to be becoming more assertive in helping to underwrite and enforce China's sovereignty claims.
Their strategic advantage is that they can be, and often are, used for irregular military engagements - occupying territory at sea, carrying out surveillance or harassing other vessels - while operating under the guise of civilian fishing boats.

 

[T.Lex]

So this is interesting.
China criticises Japanese jet scramble over East China Sea - BBC News

China has criticised what it called a "dangerous" Japanese jet scramble over disputed islands in the East China sea.
The Ministry of National Defence said on Monday that the Japanese jets had "lit up" the Chinese fighters with their fire-control radar.
A senior official in Japan previously confirmed the scramble took place, but denied the incident was dangerous

Lighting up a potential enemy with a fire control radar would be provocative. Not exactly an act of war, but something that could easily be misconstrued.

For those playing along at home, an F-15's range without refueling is about 3k nm. The one-way distance from Japan to the Spratlys is ~2.1k nm. So, they had some help, although they do have domestic refuelers. Probably just an exercise in long-range refueling....

 

[T.Lex]

China statement:
Power game decides post-arbitration order - Global Times

China is a peace-loving country and deals with foreign relations with discretion, but it won't flinch if the US and its small clique keep encroaching on its interests on its doorstep.

Whew. We can all rest easy now.

 

[T.Lex]

Whew. We can all rest easy now.

South China Sea: Tribunal backs case against China brought by Philippines - BBC News

An international tribunal has ruled against Chinese claims to rights in the South China Sea, backing a case brought by the Philippines.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration said there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources.

This will surely resolve the issue.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

The Hague Rejects China’s Sovereignty Claims in South China Sea

Edit: Ah, same as your post

 

[T.Lex]

Stuff's gettin' realer.

South China Sea: China 'has right to set up air defence zone' - BBC News

In government paper on the tribunal's findings which was released on Wednesday, China reiterated its claims over the land and maritime territory.
Introducing the paper, Mr Liu told reporters that China would establish an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over the South China Sea "if our security is being threatened".
China set up an ADIZ over similarly disputed territory in the East China Sea in 2013, requiring all aircraft passing through it to follow certain rules, file flight plans and identify themselves.

 

[printcraft]

So a united airlines flight to India doesn't reply to the hails of the Chinese and they blow it out of the sky.... Seems possible.

 

[T.Lex]

Heck, if they use the 9-dash line, a flight from Manilla to Palawan that strays too far west could get shot down. It wouldn't have filed a flight plan, and may ignore radio threats if it doesn't realize it's gone too far.

Practically, though, it would allow them to position forces in a way that was justifiable. At least internally.

 

[T.Lex]

Not worth linking to, but Russia and China will conduct joint naval training ops in the area.

That's cool. Russia moving to strategically consolidate the Pacific is totally peaceful.

 

[mrjarrell]

The INGO Trumpkins love Russia. They have nothing but the best intentions in the Pacific.

 

[T.Lex]

Actually, linkification.

China, Russia Plan Naval Drills in South China Sea - WSJ

Probably a total coincidence that the drills will be in September before a November presidential election.

 

[T.Lex]

So, this is actually kinda funny.

South China Sea: Vietnam airport screens hacked - BBC News

Flight display screens at Vietnam's two largest airports were hacked to show messages criticising Vietnam's claims of territory in the South China Sea.
...
Screens and sound systems at Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City airports broadcast anti-Vietnamese and Philippines slogans on Friday.

 

[T.Lex]

Construction continues on the military facilities.

What do 'hangars' on disputed islands in the South China Sea tell us? - BBC News

Not really all that hard to figure out that the hexagonal formations are probably just the smallest footprint for a SAM layout.
Soviet/Russian SAM Site Configuration Part 1: S-25/SA-1, S-75/SA-2, S-125/SA-3 and S-200/SA-5

 

[T.Lex]

And in the Strange Bedfellows category, we have Vietnam placing new SAMs in the area that were developed with Israeli technology.

Exclusive: Vietnam moves new rocket launchers into disputed South China Sea - sources | Reuters

 

[T.Lex]

So then this happened.

https://amti.csis.org/chinas-new-spratly-island-defenses/

China appears to have built significant point-defense capabilities, in the form of large anti-aircraft guns and probable close-in weapons systems (CIWS), at each of its outposts in the Spratly Islands.

Wonder how Bolton will react to this...