The growing tensions in the South China Sea just got more tense. A tribunal in the Hague has ruled that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea. With a huge investment in the construction of artificial islands, China has responded by simply dismissing the arbitration ruling on international law. China boycotted the proceedings before the five-member panel from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. Many felt that the boycott reflected the weakness of the Chinese claims, which were unanimously rejected by the panel. Immediately after the ruling, China issued a statement that said that China “solemnly declares that the award is null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognizes it.”
The ruling supports countries like Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines which have long objected to the Chinese construction and claims. It is also a vindication of the position of the Obama Administration that has continued to challenge China in the area.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the tribunal’s decision is “final and legally binding” and that the two sides should comply with it. He said in a statement that “Japan strongly expects that the parties’ compliance with this award will eventually lead to the peaceful settlement of disputes in the South China Sea.”
Yet, the other countries in the area now have legal support for their continued confrontations with China over the area. Notably, the panel specifically denounced China for building a large artificial island on Mischief Reef and noted that the construction caused “permanent irreparable harm” to the coral reef ecosystem and permanently destroyed natural conditions.
The question is now how far China will go in the ongoing confrontations without the benefit of a viable legal claim. Notably, China is accused of sinking a Filipino fishing boat as this ruling was released in the Hague.
Government, no matter what language it speaks, is the most powerful and dangerous weapon mankind has ever invented. A bad individual may kill a dozen or two. A government, bad by its very nature, will kill thousands or even millions at a time. Those who control governments, wherever they are located, are the enemies of ordinary people. A government is not your friend, you cannot believe its lies, and it will not protect your freedoms or your possessions. Governments will take what you have and use it for purposes which are designated by those within those governments. Unless you are rich and can control or influence a government, you will not be better off because of it. This is the way it has always been, and always will be. Just study history and observe what humans do when given power over others. The advancements of the last couple of centuries were the results of higher technologies, and they likely would have been even greater if governments had not destroyed with wars much of what was produced.
And it’s back again… there is a cost to defending the world. Why is it up to us? We’ve pretty much gone beyond broke stretching ourselves out as it is. If this is a worldwide concern, the response should possibly be more as Issac describes–as utopian as it sounds.
Olly loves quotes that seem to support his fears, but which he neither understands or can explain
Having lived in SE Asia (Thailand) since 2010 and having returned to the area in 2002 I believe I can say that among the people, not the hi-so’s who are basically still Chinese, the Chinese are actually hated more than Americans, probably the most hated in the world. Lao is practically a vassal state and Cambodia not far behind. Unfortunately Thailand’s military dictator has climbed in bed with them also.
There is no country in SE Asia that can stand up to China on the sea in an all out war, although Japan is certainly good to go. Their Marines are practicing with ours in island retaking, hint, clue. Many, many predict a shooting war, myself included, in the China Seas in the near future and this ruling will force them to be even more aggressive. The US is all that stands between them and conquering East/SE Asia. They want the world, always have, always will. They cannot be defeated on China mainland except by nukes and any nation or nations that tried without would end up defeated. On sea and air and their artificial islands, they will loose, but will inflict great damage in going down. China does NOT respect those that do not show power, diplomacy only goes so far and in all things, they lie. The US appears to be on the losing end of the stick when it comes to diplomatic affairs. As they say over here, up to you and in this case that means the US. It is just about past “saber rattling” time and if the US doesn’t stand up for it’s “allies” China will take over.