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[snoop1130]

U.S. set to push security strategy as Chinese maneuvers rattle region

By Martin Petty

 

FILE PHOTO: A Rosneft Vietnam employee looks on at the Lan Tay gas platform in the South China Sea off the coast of Vung Tau, Vietnam April 29, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

 

MANILA (Reuters) - Recent incidents involving Chinese ships in Southeast Asian waters are testing regional faith in Beijing’s sincerity about maritime peace, and aiding a renewed U.S. push to build alliances with countries unnerved by China’s assertiveness.

 

Chinese maneuvering in energy-rich stretches of the South China Sea, including a standoff in Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone, will figure on Friday when top diplomats of Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN attend a security gathering with world powers.

 

Among those is a United States that has laid out an “Indo-Pacific Strategy” challenging Chinese maritime hegemony and seeking stronger ties with nations pushing back against Beijing.

 

Vietnam has done just that, demanding earlier this month that China remove a survey ship and escorts from its waters near an offshore oil block.

 

Within hours, the U.S. State Department rebuked China for “bullying behavior” and “provocative and destabilizing activity”.

 

“The U.S. role is undeniable and very important and they need to put more pressure on China,” said Hai Hong Nguyen, a research fellow at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.

 

“The international community needs to do that too. All the claimants need to internationalize it.”

 

Vietnam’s call to rally the international community was a departure from its usual cautious responses to China, which seeks to settle rows bilaterally.

 

Vietnam also appears to have tacit support from Russia, whose state oil firm Rosneft, is operating an oil block within what China says is its historic jurisdiction.

 

Two days after a Chinese coastguard ship was tracked near the oil block on July 16, in what U.S. thinktank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) called a “threatening manner”, the Vietnamese arm of Russia’s Sputnik state news agency said President Vladimir Putin sent a personal message of gratitude to Rosneft Vietnam for developing the block.

 

Russia will be among the 27 countries at Friday’s ASEAN Regional Forum meeting in Bangkok.

 

Also present will be foreign ministers of Japan, the United States, China and Australia, plus those of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, which have recently been impacted by Chinese vessels, including the coastguard and a fishing militia.

 

The Philippine foreign minister on Wednesday confirmed a diplomatic protest to China over Chinese vessels surrounding the tiny Philippine-held Thitu island.

 

‘GRAY ZONE TACTICS’

 

The same Chinese Haijing 35111 coast guard ship that showed up near Rosneft’s operation off Vietnam was also tracked near an oil rig on Malaysia’s continental shelf during May, according to the AMTI thinktank.

 

Meanwhile in June, a Chinese fishing boat sank a Filipino vessel, leaving 22 crew stranded near the Reed Bank, the site of gas deposits inside the Philippine EEZ. China said it was an accident.

 

On Monday, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that five Chinese warships passed through Manila’s 12-mile territorial sea this month without notifying the government, calling that “a failure to observe protocol or common courtesy”.

 

According to South China Sea expert Carl Thayer, the recent increase in Chinese assertiveness is no coincidence, but a response to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, and an increase in flyovers by U.S. bombers and U.S. navy patrols in the South China Sea, through which $3.4 trillion of goods pass annually.

 

Thayer suggested China was actively preventing Southeast Asian neighbors from developing offshore energy reserves without its participation, and discouraging foreign partnerships.

 

“China’s use of gray zone tactics will inevitably cause regional states to take countermeasures and push back,” he wrote. “This carries the risk that confrontations at sea will escalate.”

 

Defending Beijing’s position, China’s ambassador to the Philippines, Zhao Jianhua, said on Tuesday that China was committed to international law and “working very hard” with ASEAN to create a maritime code of conduct within three years.

 

“No matter how strong China may become, China will never seek hegemony or never establish spheres of influence,” he said.

 

China’s one key ally is Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who despises the United States, and whose foreign policy was praised by China’s Global Times newspaper last week as “peaceful, cooperative and restrained”.

 

But Duterte’s U.S.-allied defense top brass appear uncomfortable with the position and surveys show Filipinos vastly favor the United States over China.

 

According to Manila-based author and analyst Richard Heydarian, Duterte is increasingly isolated in defending China.

 

“From the very front lines, Hong Kong and Taiwan all the way to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and definitely Vietnam - you’re seeing a robust pushback by a lot of smaller countries,” he said.

 

“Definitely, Washington has that strategic room for maneuver,” he said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-31

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[NCC1701A]

bring it on!

[ExpatOilWorker]

10 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

bring it on!

One day PLA will bring it on, just go a few pages back from the below link. They have the hardware to start a nasty fight.

 

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=559031&page=109

[ExpatOilWorker]

Note what happen at 4:48.....

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

27 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

“From the very front lines, Hong Kong and Taiwan all the way to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and definitely Vietnam - you’re seeing a robust pushback by a lot of smaller countries,” he said.

 

One country among that geographic group that some of us are passingly familiar with seems to be missing from that pushback rollcall.  Well, actually, two or more.... Thailand and Cambodia quickly come to mind. MIA.  Certainly glad they're not already under/within China's non-existent (according to the ambassador) "sphere of influence."

[NCC1701A]

9 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

One day PLA will bring it on, just go a few pages back from the below link. They have the hardware to start a nasty fight.

 

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=559031&page=109

good. lets get this party started.

[Mavideol]

32 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Meanwhile in June, a Chinese fishing boat sank a Filipino vessel, leaving 22 crew stranded near the Reed Bank, the site of gas deposits inside the Philippine EEZ. China said it was an accident.

they do that to you it's called an accident you do the same or even less to them and they call it an act of aggression.... they are bullies and should be treated as such, shouldn't be respected nor trusted

[Tug]

The weak card in this is no government in there right mind wants to align themselves with trump he is to unstable China knows this it’s part of the reason they are pushing so hard now imo

[ExpatOilWorker]

On 7/31/2019 at 6:37 PM, Mavideol said:

they do that to you it's called an accident you do the same or even less to them and they call it an act of aggression.... they are bullies and should be treated as such, shouldn't be respected nor trusted

Looks like the PLA navy just ran (sailed) from the accident scene:

 

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3021035/chinese-warship-collides-taiwan-freight-vessel-then-sails-away

[mikebike]

1 hour ago, car720 said:

Each and every individual Chinese only understands one thing:  Power.

Yep. You nailed that ridiculous generalization!

 

I guess you also believe every American is a red-neck unedjumacated yokel too... ????

 

 

[tomacht8]

On 7/31/2019 at 9:31 PM, Tug said:

The weak card in this is no government in there right mind wants to align themselves with trump he is to unstable China knows this it’s part of the reason they are pushing so hard now imo

I see it the same way. To curb China's desire for expansion it needs an alliance of many countries. The same is true of the trade wars Trump has staged as a solo performer with his allies. The unreasonableness in the white house is now so serious that China has an easy game.

[Number 6]

The only country with any balls is Vietnam. Philippines has most to lose but won't step in. Thailand and Cambodia will sit on their hands. Tacit approval. China will grab this area and will then become beach head for taking Taiwan back. They might even make a move for Palawan the Filipinos are so incompetent and weak. China hegemony with full backing of the other national socialists Russia.

[Mavideol]

On 7/31/2019 at 6:03 PM, snoop1130 said:

Vietnam’s call to rally the international community was a departure from its usual cautious responses to China, which seeks to settle rows bilaterally.

don't trust Xi, they don't respect any treaty and/or agreements previously signed, look at the UK/China agreement regarding HK it was supposed to be respected for 50 years, barely 2o years and they said the agreement is null/voided, Viets should keep challenging China and maybe other neighbors (except Cambodia and Thailand) may follow but Duterte may not as well, he's like a ball, bouncing/bending in all directions and still kiss arse to China

[Traubert]

6 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

don't trust Xi, they don't respect any treaty and/or agreements previously signed, look at the UK/China agreement regarding HK it was supposed to be respected for 50 years, barely 2o years and they said the agreement is null/voided, Viets should keep challenging China and maybe other neighbors (except Cambodia and Thailand) may follow but Duterte may not as well, he's like a ball, bouncing/bending in all directions and still kiss arse to China

When did China say the agreement was null and void?

 

It was actually 22 years, not barely 20.

[Mavideol]

7 minutes ago, Traubert said:

When did China say the agreement was null and void?

 

It was actually 22 years, not barely 20.

• Telegraph
• News

maybe this will help and next time check your facts before making any st..id comments,

China says legally binding Hong Kong handover treaty with Britain has 'no practical significance'

Save

The handover ceremony from the UK to China in 1997 left Britain with responsibility to uphold Hong Kong's freedoms Credit: TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images

 

• Neil Connor, Hong Kong

30 June 2017 • 6:43pm

 

 

China appeared to dramatically consign Britain’s responsibility to Hong Kong to history on Friday by saying a treaty signed by Margaret Thatcher which paved the way for the handover and guaranteed freedoms in the city had “no practical significance.”

The surprising remarks, which came on the eve of the 20^th anniversary of the handover of the former British colony to China, relate to the 1984 joint declaration, which guarantees Hong Kong’s legal autonomy from the mainland. 

[Traubert]

No practical significance does not mean null and void.

 

Appeared to, does not mean did.

[Mavideol]

Just now, Traubert said:

No practical significance does not mean null and void.

 

Appeared to, does not mean did.

plenty of dictionaries available for the definition but no bother, it's was all over the news, you got caught let it go don't waste time, the chinetocs are not worth your support

[bristolboy]

7 minutes ago, Traubert said:

No practical significance does not mean null and void.

 

Appeared to, does not mean did.

Straining at a gnat much?

[Traubert]

5 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

plenty of dictionaries available for the definition but no bother, it's was all over the news, you got caught let it go don't waste time, the chinetocs are not worth your support

 

It might have been but it still doesn't mean null and void.

 

What is a Chinetoc?

[bristolboy]

2 minutes ago, Traubert said:

 

It might have been but it still doesn't mean null and void.

 

What is a Chinetoc?

chinetoc (n.) (péjoratif)

chinois, Chinoise, chinetoque  (racisme, péjoratif)

[Traubert]

4 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Straining at a gnat much?

I don't know what that means.

 

However I do know the meaning of 'appeared to,' and 'null and void.' I also know the Daily Telegraph's position on China. It's not known as the 'Torygraph' for nothing.

[Traubert]

2 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

chinetoc (n.) (péjoratif)

chinois, Chinoise, chinetoque  (racisme, péjoratif)

Oh we have a racist in our midst do we?

 

How nice. I thought name calling was frowned on here?

[billd766]

51 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

don't trust Xi, they don't respect any treaty and/or agreements previously signed, look at the UK/China agreement regarding HK it was supposed to be respected for 50 years, barely 2o years and they said the agreement is null/voided, Viets should keep challenging China and maybe other neighbors (except Cambodia and Thailand) may follow but Duterte may not as well, he's like a ball, bouncing/bending in all directions and still kiss arse to China

By the same token who would trust the USA under Trump? He has broken agreements with many countries including allies that the USA badly needs.

 

An example is the Arab Gulf when he asked erstwhile allies to help out escorting tankers up ans down the Gulf. Whilst most have not said yes or no, none of them really want too help the USA out of the mess that Trump has caused.

 

Blind Freddie's dog could do no worse than Trump and probably better.

[bristolboy]

1 minute ago, Traubert said:

I don't know what that means.

 

However I do know the meaning of 'appeared to,' and 'null and void.' I also know the Daily Telegraph's position on China. It's not known as the 'Torygraph' for nothing.

China says Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong no longer has meaning

BEIJING/LONDON (Reuters) - China said on Friday the joint declaration with Britain over Hong Kong, which laid the blueprint over how the city would be ruled after its return to China in 1997, was a historical document that no longer had any practical significance.

In response, Britain said the declaration remained in force and was a legally valid treaty to which it was committed to upholding.

The stark announcement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, that is sure to raise questions over Beijing’s commitment to Hong Kong’s core freedoms, came the same day Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Hong Kong the “one country, two systems” formula was recognized “by the whole world”.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-anniversary-china/china-says-sino-british-joint-declaration-on-hong-kong-no-longer-has-meaning-idUSKBN19L1J1

 

[bristolboy]

Just now, bristolboy said:

China says Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong no longer has meaning

BEIJING/LONDON (Reuters) - China said on Friday the joint declaration with Britain over Hong Kong, which laid the blueprint over how the city would be ruled after its return to China in 1997, was a historical document that no longer had any practical significance.

In response, Britain said the declaration remained in force and was a legally valid treaty to which it was committed to upholding.

The stark announcement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, that is sure to raise questions over Beijing’s commitment to Hong Kong’s core freedoms, came the same day Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Hong Kong the “one country, two systems” formula was recognized “by the whole world”.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-anniversary-china/china-says-sino-british-joint-declaration-on-hong-kong-no-longer-has-meaning-idUSKBN19L1J

I think "null and void" is  a very fair paraphrase of "no longer had any practical significance" when applied to an extant treaty.

[ExpatOilWorker]

39 minutes ago, billd766 said:

By the same token who would trust the USA under Trump? He has broken agreements with many countries including allies that the USA badly needs.

 

An example is the Arab Gulf when he asked erstwhile allies to help out escorting tankers up ans down the Gulf. Whilst most have not said yes or no, none of them really want too help the USA out of the mess that Trump has caused.

 

Blind Freddie's dog could do no worse than Trump and probably better.

Where is all the oil from the Middle East going? 

 

To China of course. They should call on the PLA navy to secure the Hormuz strait or let Iran set it all ablaze.

Since China is importing 10 million bbls /day it will cost China close to $4 billion/year for every $ oil increase. Smart way for Trump to pressure China.

Edited August 4, 2019 by ExpatOilWorker

[bristolboy]

6 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Where is alrom the Middle East going? 

 

To China of course. They should call on the PLA navy to secure the Hormuz strait or let Iran set it all ablaze.

Since China is importing 10 million bbls /day it will cost China close to $4 billion/year for every $ oil increase. Smart way for Trump to pressure China.

And hurt his reelection chances.

[ExpatOilWorker]

11 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

And hurt his reelection chances.

It didn't hurts Ronald Reagan's popularity when he brought USSR to its knees. 

[Traubert]

Ah. Reuters. Has anyone got anything apart from mainstream media? You do know that the world media is largely owned by only six people?

 

Null and void. Not existent from this day on. No longer valid.

 

No practical significance. Still existent but deemed no longer useful.

 

Plus the one country/two systems agreement still stands, semantics notwithstanding.

 

 

[bristolboy]

1 minute ago, Traubert said:

Ah. Reuters. Has anyone got anything apart from mainstream media? You do know that the world media is largely owned by only six people?

 

Null and void. Not existent from this day on. No longer valid.

 

No practical significance. Still existent but deemed no longer useful.

 

Plus the one country/two systems agreement still stands, semantics notwithstanding.

 

 

You mean they lied about how China characterized the treaty? Nonsense.

"No practical signifance" means that whatever provisions are in the treaty, no longer apply. How is that in practice different from "null and void".

Does the one country/two systems agreement still stand? Have Hong Kong citizens not been kidnapped and taken to China for trial and punishment?