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NWCorona

(8,541 posts)
Thu May 19, 2016, 05:09 PM May 2016

China says it's ready if US ‘stirs up any conflict’ in South China Sea

Source: CNBC

BEIJING — China's attempts to claim a nearly 1.4-million-square-mile swathe of open ocean are without precedent and probably without legal merit, but Beijing continues to assert its right to the economically critical zone — and increasingly puts its claims in military terms.

Speaking to a small group of reporters in Beijing on Thursday, a high-ranking Chinese official made his warning clear: The United States should not provoke China in the South China Sea without expecting retaliation.

"The Chinese people do not want to have war, so we will be opposed to [the] U.S. if it stirs up any conflict," said Liu Zhenmin, vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Of course, if the Korean War or Vietnam War are replayed, then we will have to defend ourselves."

The so-called "nine-dash line" that China has drawn over most of the South China Sea — a gargantuan territorial claim that stretches about 1,200 miles from its shores — would give Beijing control over a zone that's estimated to handle about half of global merchant shipping, a third of the planet's oil shipping, two-thirds of global liquid natural gas shipments, and more than a 10th of Earth's fish catch. The Obama administration, backed by several Asian governments and entities such as the Brookings Institution, argues that such massive ocean claims at great distance from land are "inconsistent with international law."

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/19/china-says-its-ready-if-us-stirs-up-any-conflict-in-south-china-sea.html

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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China says it's ready if US ‘stirs up any conflict’ in South China Sea (Original Post) NWCorona May 2016 OP
the US can probably build some islands of its own--we have more ships and the Philippines MisterP May 2016 #1
We'll make Mexico pay for it. nt phazed0 May 2016 #3
This actually may be the most dangerous situation in the world right now elljay May 2016 #2
The most dangerous situation is that the people of these stuporpowers are burning up their damn dirt jtuck004 May 2016 #5
Well, yeah elljay May 2016 #7
I have this mental picture of opposing armies standing around their guns, while jtuck004 May 2016 #11
It would be fitting elljay May 2016 #12
Ready to do what? jb5150 May 2016 #4
Swell. LS_Editor May 2016 #6
China is the one stirring up shit. Odin2005 May 2016 #8
Paper Tiger trying to roar, but only yawning. Feeling the Bern May 2016 #9
Ready to get their ass kicked. tabasco May 2016 #10

MisterP

(23,730 posts)
1. the US can probably build some islands of its own--we have more ships and the Philippines
Thu May 19, 2016, 05:13 PM
May 2016

and, yes, Vietnam can help

elljay

(1,178 posts)
2. This actually may be the most dangerous situation in the world right now
Thu May 19, 2016, 05:20 PM
May 2016

ISIS/Boko Haram/Al Qaeda are all horrible but not powerful enough to do more than slaughter innocent people. Putin is very strategic and selective in his military engagements, designing them precisely to not bring in the other larger powers. China, on the other hand, seems to be in full aggression mode, with aspirations to be a 19th century imperial empire. This could turn very bad, very quickly.

 

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)
5. The most dangerous situation is that the people of these stuporpowers are burning up their damn dirt
Thu May 19, 2016, 05:43 PM
May 2016

faster than it can regenerate itself to grow things, and fouling their water faster than it can be drinking water in a million lifetimes. A bomb from either side would only be an accelerant, a catalyst to what they are already doing.

The above is just arguing about how much room one side has to play deck bowling on the Titanic.

elljay

(1,178 posts)
7. Well, yeah
Thu May 19, 2016, 06:11 PM
May 2016

but that's a slow frog-in-the-soup destruction that most people seem quite comfortable to ignore. I can't believe we just lifted mandatory water restrictions here in California. Most people had adjusted just fine to saving water where we can (agriculture is a different situation that needs to be separately resolved). Though, "surprisingly", the rich were never punished sufficiently for continuing to maintain their landscapes because they could easily afford the fines. Now that restrictions will be implemented at a local level, we will head back to rampant waste until we get the next drought in a couple of years and everyone is shocked that we're out of water. That is how most people continue to treat our impending climate catastrophe - heads in the sand.

The situation with China could turn into the next big militarization/war/disruption. China got away with destroying Tibet because it was a small, powerless country. They have gotten away with the destruction of the Uighur region of the country because they control access to the area and to information. However, their territorial claims would interfere with those of Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia and, as the article mentions, would be catastrophic for much of the world's shipping and economy. These are stakes that cause wars and the last thing we need is another war.

 

jtuck004

(15,882 posts)
11. I have this mental picture of opposing armies standing around their guns, while
Thu May 19, 2016, 09:37 PM
May 2016

the waters drown both sides, ever so slowly.

Last thing you see are the gun barrels, and then nothing but water.

elljay

(1,178 posts)
12. It would be fitting
Thu May 19, 2016, 09:50 PM
May 2016

if the casualties were the people who cause the wars, instead of the poor people who have to fight it.

 

Feeling the Bern

(3,839 posts)
9. Paper Tiger trying to roar, but only yawning.
Thu May 19, 2016, 08:12 PM
May 2016

Beijing knows if they tried anything against us, we cancel our debts to them and will probably annihilate them.

The US has:

ICBM capability
First Strike capability
A large Deep Blue Navy
Subs capable of SAM launches

Sorry, China. . .I live among you. Your sabre rattling doesn't work.

"The Chinese people do not want to have war, so we will be opposed to U.S. if it stirs up any conflict," said Liu Zhenmin, vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Of course, if the Korean War or Vietnam War are replayed, then we will have to defend ourselves."


You are the ones itching for a war. Look in a mirror, if you can. I mean, saving face is more important than learning from mistake, right, Mr. Liu.

You guys are so predictable.
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