U.S. Vows to Stop Beijing Taking Over South China Sea Islands

[blue-wave]

Source: Time

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) The new U.S. administration of President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that the United States would prevent China from taking over territory in international waters in the South China Sea, something Chinese state media has warned would require Washington to wage war.

The comments at a briefing from White House spokesman Sean Spicer signaled a sharp departure from years of cautious U.S. handling of Chinas assertive pursuit of territory claims in Asia, just days after Trump took office on Friday.

Read more: http://time.com/4644651/u-s-vows-to-stop-beijing-taking-over-south-china-sea-islands/

---

Well, didn't take long for the wage war talk to start now did it? Geez, I can't wait to see what the next few days brings. All kidding aside, this is frightening.

[still_one]

1. That is what they think.

[queentonic]

2. Is the Draft Coming Back?

With military morale at 52 percent and the need for a large influx of personnel in a major conflict, there is only one option available to the Trumpster if war ensues with the Chinese and that's the resumption of the military draft. I was a draftee and I can assure you, the Selective Service is still very much alive and well. All one has to do is read the Congressional documents regarding the new Selective Service System from the 95th Congress and the passage of the Selective Service Act that now can be activated, truly, on a 24-hour notice. It will be brutal and quick with little time for people to protest. I can only hope this is saber rattling and nothing more. The Trumpster does a lot of that so let's wait and see. But keep this in the back of your mind just in case.

[dhol82]

9. I think that's the way to get the republican's attention

A draft that does not have elite units for their little snowflakes.

That will get massive protest marches.

[Vinca]

14. I say we draft Don's sons first.

Of course, it's likely they have bone spurs.

[KewlKat]

23. yes, many people say they have spurs on their butts

If they could stand on their own two feet they could then be able to fight for their country. Something the Con would NOT do....Mr 5 deferments. He prefers others to defend his country.

[yeoman6987]

28. Both too old but Tiffany is eligible.

I think she's the only one under the age. They stop at 35. Marines is lower age.

[bowens43]

3. what happened to this asshole's talk about non-intervention?

is there any thing this piece of shit won't lie about?

[Coventina]

17. That only applies to Russia. Putin can do whatever he likes.

The rest of the world, not so much.

[queentonic]

4. History Repeats Itself

Let's not forget that Hitler also ran on a peace platform. Then along came the invasion of Poland.

[JNelson6563]

5. Well yeah, he wants our sons to fight the biggest dog out there

and of course to win. So much winning. And then he could be the boss of the whole world.

Delusional.

[AirmensMom]

12. Sons?

Some of us have military daughters who have been/will be deployed. It would be nice if at least Democrats would stop referring to our military as just "sons."

[madokie]

16. Exactly right Mom

Thanks for pointing that out

Peace

[AirmensMom]

19. It's really a sore spot for me.

Almost every time people, the press, politicians, etc. discuss going to war, they always talk about our sons/boys/men. It's as if women will never get credit for what they do, including serving in the military. To see this on a Democratic website was a bit much for me.

[madokie]

21. As it should be

The people who I admire the most are the mothers, daughters and sisters. Men we're a dime a dozen but you girls now thats a different story. Yah Tough

[JNelson6563]

24. Yes of course. I was remiss in that regard.

Should have said "our kids".

I do fear there could be a draft--when they get us in too deep-- and I know they'll start with men and my son is the right age. My initial statement no doubt comes from that base fear of mine. Sometimes remarks such as mine come from deep rooted fears, not an exclusionary mindset.

Certainly wasn't aiming to be sexist and think it's great that women have made progress in opening up opportunities in the military. To those who want to join I am fully supportive and I feel it SHOULD be their right to do so.


Warm regards to you, no doubt a proud mom!

[Achilleaze]

6. The freaking KGOP Draft-&-Tax Dodger-in-Chief still trying to prove he's a "man"

[Buckeye_Democrat]

7. Here we goooo....

Review Christopher Steele's dossier about Trump's relationship with China.

[Fast Walker 52]

8. Yes yes yes!!!! Everyone ignores that!

except us few here, of course

[Fast Walker 52]

10. yes, because a few small stupid man-made islands are worth going to war with a nuclear power over

not to mention a country that produces huge amounts of our goods.

[hack89]

31. It is not about the islands. It is about claiming a huge swath of international seas.

China wants to claim all of South China Sea.

[Fast Walker 52]

40. how can they do that?

[dixiegrrrrl]

43. Big ships and proximity, for starters....n/t

[hack89]

45. Here is a good place to start

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_disputes_in_the_South_China_Sea

[HoneyBadger]

11. Why can't anyone build islands there?

International waters....yeah that is the ticket.

Elon Musk, Trump, Greenpeace, Exxon, Israel, anyone.

[hack89]

32. No problem as long as they forego claiming the seas around them. nt

[HoneyBadger]

36. The obvious solution, since China believes that this is a valid method of homesteading, is for us

To do the same

[hack89]

38. It is in violation of international law. It is not valid.

Their goal is to turn international waters in the South China sea into a Chinese lake. A move in violation of international law according to the Hague

An international tribunal in The Hague delivered a sweeping rebuke on Tuesday of China’s behavior in the South China Sea, including its construction of artificial islands, and found that its expansive claim to sovereignty over the waters had no legal basis.

In its most significant finding, the tribunal rejected China’s argument that it enjoys historic rights over most of the South China Sea. That could give the governments of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam more leverage in their own maritime disputes with Beijing.

The tribunal also said that China had violated international law by causing “irreparable harm” to the marine environment, endangering Philippine ships and interfering with Philippine fishing and oil exploration.

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/world/asia/south-china-sea-hague-ruling-philippines.html?_r=0

[wishstar]

13. White House policy will be dominated by big oil interests to keep China from developing more oil/gas

"The United States Energy Information Administration has estimated that 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lie below the seabed, including both proven and probable reserves. If those estimates prove correct, the South China Sea would be in the same league as Mexico, a midsize producer, and in the global top 10 in terms of gas.

The South China Sea is far from virgin territory. But so far, exploration and production of oil and gas have been confined mainly to waters off the coasts of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines, which form the sea’s perimeter along with Taiwan. The Energy Information Administration estimates that in 2011, South China Sea production by these countries amounted to 1.2 million barrels a day of oil and 3,200 billion cubic feet of natural gas. These numbers are roughly similar to the current crude production of North Dakota and to Saudi Arabia’s annual gas production in 2012."

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/business/energy-environment/beijing-zeroes-in-on-energy-potential-of-south-china-sea.html

[alarimer]

15. China has no right to those islands

Obama was a lot better at containing this stuff than Trump ever will be. Trump will turn everything into a potential war.

[LeftinOH]

18. This is going to be a hard sell for Americans, even the Trumpsters.

Are there any people on these "islands" (mostly dredged-up fake islands) who need to be liberated? Nope. Without any kind of pretext to send our military off to fight, even in the style of Tonkin or 9/11 (no matter how erroneous), how on earth would the American public get behind this?

Oh, wait. I know: A skirmish on the high seas. Innocent US ship just "passing through" Chinese-controlled waters gets itself fired upon...tension created!! With any luck on the Administration's part, maybe a few Americans get killed in the action.. cuz nothing gets Americans more fired up than our fodder, um, I mean military men getting harmed.

[hack89]

33. These islands create "Chinese-controlled waters "

that's the entire issue - China is trying to pull off a massive grab of international waters. It is no different than what Russia did in the Crimea.

[Fast Walker 52]

41. obviously they should be kept from doing that, the issue is how much do we trust the Trump admin

not to make it worse?

[HoneyBadger]

37. Gulf of Tonkin worked once upon a time

[Red Knight]

20. It will be a miracle if he doesn't get us into a major war in the next four years.

And what's terrifying is he thinks we should be using our nukes.

Horrifying.

This kind of thing is best dealt with using skilled diplomacy.

Trump and his clown car team have no idea what that means.

[JNelson6563]

25. Or four months...

[Lurks Often]

22. That was the general position of the U.S. under President Obama

"The message is clear: The US will not allow China to proceed unchallenged with a takeover of one of the busiest and most strategic bits of water in the world."

Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34853878

[Kablooie]

26. The policy to prevent China from doing this is not wrong.

They are building man made islands out near their international border so their new border will extend across a major international shipping lane that they can then control.

Opposing this is valid but since this is Trump I expect he will jump to military force immediately instead of using Diplomacy and other non military means to stop them. I'm sure he's wetting his pants over the chance to play movie military commander with real soldiers.

[Fast Walker 52]

42. exactly...

[AJT]

27. I wonder what tough talk

there will be when Russia tries taking over another country.

[longship]

29. That is a really, really bad idea!

Who thinks of this stuff? That's right, an ignorant narcissistic shitgibbon.

We are truly screwn!

[Bayard]

30. Careful Donnie

China will call in your loans. Maybe he thinks he can just confiscate these islands and build hotels on them?

[minstrel76]

34. We should expect this.

Every time a Repub gets in, look out. We're going to be dragged into another war.

[maryellen99]

35. I fully expect to wake up one morning in the next few weeks to the news

That Russia has invaded Eastern Europe and The Baltics or that China has invaded Taiwan.

[jpak]

39. May the Odds be ever in our favor

[dchill]

44. "I love war -...

Even with nukes."

[RealityChik]

46. It won't be THAT kind of war...

It'll be more of the trade war type...like call in the entire gazillion-dollar loan we owe them. And boycott all our products!

But, no worries, our loser-in-chief has PLENTY of experience with bankruptcy. All he'll have to do is add about a dozen more zeroes to his bankruptcy totals to get a better sense of scale. Then open the floodgates of the US Treasury and press the red button that says, "EMPTY ALL!" And done!