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China tightening grip on Spratlys; merge threads, updates
Topic Started: Jun 25 2012, 06:46 PM (30,275 Views)
MSantor
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The Chinese make stern warnings against a civilian aircraft carrying a BBC reporter near the artificial islands controlled by China:

BBC

Quote:
 
Navy warns as BBC flies near China islands

1 hour ago

Countries from around the world have insisted that China's expansion into the South China Sea is illegal.

It is building a huge artificial island in the Spratly Island chain, one of the most contested areas in the world.

The islands are difficult to reach, but BBC correspondent Rupert Wingfield-Hayes flew in a small civilian aircraft into China's self-declared security zone, 140 miles off the coast of the Philippines.

(...SNIPPED)
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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Shanghaiist

Quote:
 
Disputed South China Sea island will soon be home to a new Chinese filling station


Chinese petroleum giant Sinopec plans on building a filling station on an island in the South China Sea, as China continues to build up infrastructure on the disputed territory.

According to Sinopec, the planned filling station and accompanying storage tank on Woody Island in the Paracel Islands will take one year to complete building. Woody Island has a population of around 1,000 residents, and perhaps some wood as well. The filling station will meet all fuel needs of the island.

(...SNIPPED)


"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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Diplomat

Quote:
 
Who Is Militarizing the South China Sea?

Those making accusations should begin by defining exactly what they mean by “militarization.”

By Mark J. Valencia
December 20, 2015

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Defense Secretary Ashton Carter have repeatedly warned China not to militarize the Spratly islands in the South China Sea. But China claims that it is the United States that is militarizing the region and the South China Sea disputes. Who is doing what, is it “militarization,” and why does it matter?

On November 21, Obama appealed to the region’s leaders gathered at the East Asia Summit. declaring that “For the sake of regional stability, the claimants should halt reclamation, construction and militarization in disputed areas.” He was trying to build on the hint of progress manifest in an impromptu public statement by China’s President Xi Jinping at the conclusion of his visit to Washington, in which he assured all that “China does not intend to pursue militarization” of the Spratly Islands. Unfortunately Xi did not elaborate in public or private. But it is clear that the U.S. intends to hold him to its interpretation of the term. However, in a subsequent confusing twist, China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said at the East Asia Summit “One should never link the military facilities with efforts to militarize the South China Sea. This is a false argument. It is a consistent Chinese position to firmly oppose the militarization of the South China Sea.”

(...SNIPPED)
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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The Chinese airstrip is operational: :wow:

Diplomat

Quote:
 
Vietnam Protests as China Lands Civilian Aircraft on Newly Constructed Spratly Airstrip

The Vietnamese foreign ministry described the move as a “serious infringement” of its sovereignty.


By Ankit Panda
January 03, 2016


The status of China’s artificial islands in the disputed Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea hit a new milestone on Saturday. China landed a civilian aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef, drawing a sharp reaction from the Vietnamese government. Le Hai Binh, a spokesperson for the Vietnamese foreign ministry, said that a Chinese aircraft had landed on the 3000 meter airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef. He added that the strip had been “built illegally on Fiery Cross Reef, which is part of Vietnam’s Spratlys.” Vietnam, along with China, Taiwan, and Malaysia, claims Fiery Cross Reef, which has seen extensive land reclamation and construction work since last year. China has occupied the reef since 1988.

Binh continued that the move represented “a serious infringement of the sovereignty of Vietnam on the Spratly archipelago, contrary to the common perception of high-ranking leaders of the two countries and [to] an agreement on the basic principles for directly solving maritime issues between Vietnam and China.” He additionally noted that the Vietnamese government had filed a formal protest with the Chinese embassy, requesting that China refrain from staging another landing on the disputed island.

Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, clarified the nature of the landing. According to Hua, “the Chinese government conducted a test flight to the airport with a civil aircraft in order to test whether or not the facilities on it meet the standards for civil aviation.” She added that the “relevant activity falls completely within China’s sovereignty.”

(...SNIPPED)
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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Diplomat

Quote:
 
China Defends Airstrip Construction in the South China Sea

After the first test landing on a new runway in the Spratly, China is highlighting the civilian uses for its airstrip.

shannon-tiezzi
By Shannon Tiezzi
January 06, 2016

On January 2, China conducted the first-ever landing on the new airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea, drawing diplomatic protests from Vietnam and the Philippines. In the days since then, Chinese officials have been justifying Beijing’s decision to construct the new airstrip in the disputed Spratly Islands, to which Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also having varying claims.

At over 3,000 meters long, the runway at Fiery Cross Reef is large enough to be used by any Chinese military aircraft, from long-range bombers to fighter jets. According to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, similarly sized airstrips are believed to be under construction at Subi Reef and Mischief Reef. Four of the other five rival claimants (Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam) also have airstrips in the Spratly Islands, but the Fiery Cross airstrip is over twice as long as the next largest (Malaysia’s 1,300 meter airstrip at Swallow Reef) and is the only one capable of accommodating bombers.

Despite the clear military applications of China’s new runway(s) in the South China Sea, Beijing has been insistent that the primary purpose of its new facilities is civilian. Since the first detailed official explanation for the construction was provided in April 2015, Chinese officials have consistently claimed that the new facilities will be used to provide civilian services, including maritime search and rescue, navigation aid, marine research, and even weather observation.

(...SNIPPED)
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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Straight out of a propaganda film...

Shanghaiist

Quote:
 
Cute flight attendants used as latest weapon in battle for South China Sea territory


Images of flight attendants posing for pictures at one of the recently built airstrips that China has developed on disputed islands in the South China Sea have recently gone viral, with netizens sarcastically praising the country's growing strength in the region.



According to NetEase, China allowed two civil airlines to land on the newly-built airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef, referred to as Yongshu Reef by the Chinese. The mission was declared a success, with the flight attendants posing for a series of photos which serve to demonstrate China's undisputed sovereignty over the territory.

(...SNIPPED)
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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China is just as responsible, if not more, than the other claimants of the area, for the environmental damage mentioned below:

Diplomat

Quote:
 
Satellite Imagery Shows Ecocide in the South China Sea

Poaching of giant clam shells is causing massive scarring of coral reefs
.
By Victor Robert Lee
January 15, 2016


Satellite images of the South China Sea show man-made scarring of coral reefs on a scale heretofore unappreciated, much of which occurred between 2012 and late 2015. The scarring, resulting from widespread chopping of reefs by fishermen using propellers mounted on small boats in order to poach giant clam shells, is visible on recent images of at least 28 reefs in the Spratly and Paracel island groups, in territories disputed by Vietnam, the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei. Evidence from news reports, aerial photos, videos and commercial websites directly link much, and probably most, of the “prop chop” reef destruction to fishermen from China, particularly from the port of Tanmen on Hainan Island.

(...SNIPPED)
Edited by MSantor, Jan 15 2016, 11:59 PM.
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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The article mentions these marine power plants will provide power for remote offshore areas, possibly the reclaimed areas like Mischief Reef:

Manila Bulletin

Quote:
 
China planning to build floating nuclear power plant
by AFP
January 27, 2016 (updated)


Beijing, CHINA – China is planning to build a floating nuclear power station as it seeks to double its atomic capacity by 2020, a senior official said Wednesday.

(...SNIPPED)

Beijing included the development of two marine nuclear power plants, to be built by China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) respectively, in its 13th five-year plan for 2016-2020, the two companies announced earlier this month.

The CNNC plant is expected to start operation in 2019 and CGN’s the following year, according to their statements.

They could provide power for offshore oil and gas drilling platforms, island development and remote areas, both firms said.

(...SNIPPED)

Edited by MSantor, Jan 27 2016, 11:46 PM.
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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MSantor
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HQ9 SAM batteries are now on Woody Island:

Fox News

Quote:
 
Exclusive: China sends surface-to-air missiles to contested island in provocative move

The Chinese military has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of its contested islands in the South China Sea according to civilian satellite imagery exclusively obtained by Fox News, more evidence that China is increasingly "militarizing" its islands in the South China Sea and ramping up tensions in the region.

The imagery from ImageSat International (ISI) shows two batteries of eight surface-to-air missile launchers as well as a radar system on Woody Island, part of the Paracel Island chain in the South China Sea.
It is the same island chain where a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed close to another contested island a few weeks ago. China at the time vowed “consequences” for the action.

(...SNIPPED)
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."
- Winston Churchill


"If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton
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AVBsupersonic
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According to this
Quote:
 
will soon have the results of the ITLOS ruling on or before May 2016.

If only we had someone much much better..

The President and his Cabinet should have taken the opportunity a few days ago, (US/ ASEAN meeting) made a draft n study regarding possible future scenarios, in case a China Embargo comes into play, ask Pres. Obama with all the ASEAN members present, so everyone can take a BIG bite of the huge "Moon Cake".

-If the Ruling goes to the Philippines favour, with US support, PNoy and the AFP/DND can straight away reclaim Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) and build a temporary Marine base structures supported by a maintained LST, Fast Attack Boats, MPAC, PCG, PN, so that the PHGovt. can give the local Filipino fishermen's their livelihoods back.

-Reclaim "Mischief Reef" near Palawan or any other territories occupied by China with the help of the US, taking advantage of EDCA Umbrella. For it's pretty sure, guaranteed that they will do the same move for all the rest of their illegally artificially man made islands, particularly MISCHIEF REEF which is a clear threat to Palawan and the Country.

New Philippine Govt. come July, should start investing heavily on tweaking it's AFP's capabilities to at least a "Singapore" like Military Power ASAP, like Air/ Surface Missile Defence Systems, a few potent Warships 1-2 (Arleigh Burke Type), (OHP's) etc., some to be made as "templates" to mass locally build it's own and a few more squadrons of MRF's combi of either (12-16) more FA-50's and (8-12) F-18E SH (4-6) configured as airborne tankers), at least (36) all in total (min), ask to buy from the US some (2) E-2C Hawkeye AEW & C's, ALL "AS PART OF TOP PRIORITIES", to protect it's interests, Security and to be able to defend the Country from any kind of external threats, more so, for the Philippines to have a voice, elated and to be heard in the International scene etc.



(PRIORITIZE) The Philippines should also start, opening contracts on all OIL/ GAS Explorations with in it's EEZ jurisdictions in the WPS including BENHAM RISE, in order to support all these Military upgrades and future growth etc. straight away, to be able to support all these plans in long term successfully.
Edited by AVBsupersonic, Feb 18 2016, 07:07 PM.
"Some are just lucky that they're not under oath and are not classified!"- Blue badge
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