China's SCS Strategy Thread

supercat

Major
Diplomatic win for China as ASEAN drops reference to maritime court ruling
VIENTIANE | By
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China scored a diplomatic victory on Monday as Southeast Asian nations dropped a U.S.-backed proposal to mention a landmark international court ruling against Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea in a joint statement.


A weekend deadlock between Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers was broken only when the Philippines withdrew its request to mention the ruling in the face of resolute objections from Cambodia, China's closest ASEAN ally.

China publicly thanked Phnom Penh for the support, which threw the regional bloc's meeting in the Laos capital of Vientiane into disarray.

The United States had earlier on Monday urged ASEAN to make a reference to the July 12 ruling by the U.N.-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration, in which U.S. ally Manila won an emphatic legal victory over China on the dispute.

In a meeting with host Laos' Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry "urged ASEAN to reach consensus and issue a joint statement on the arbitral tribunals recent ruling on the South China Sea", said U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner.

Kerry pressed the issue during other bilateral meetings with ASEAN members, Toner said.

Competing claims with China in the vital shipping lane are among the most contentious issues for the 10 members of ASEAN, who are pulled between their desire to assert their sovereignty while fostering ties with an increasingly assertive Beijing.
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In other news,
Former Philippine leader Ramos accepts post as special envoy to Beijing over South China Sea dispute: reports

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Brainsuker

Junior Member
Registered Member
I won't call that as "Diplomatic victory". Because the result just give a temporary measure to the dispute. I think the best card that China has now to solve the SCS problem is actually Duratte. With the new Philippine president's foreign policy that favor China, they should make a bargain that give a benefit to the Philippine.

Well, I think they can do that. Because China could handle the border problem with Russia and VIetnam satisfactory back then. They should be able to do that again.
 

Equation

Lieutenant General
I won't call that as "Diplomatic victory". Because the result just give a temporary measure to the dispute. I think the best card that China has now to solve the SCS problem is actually Duratte. With the new Philippine president's foreign policy that favor China, they should make a bargain that give a benefit to the Philippine.

Well, I think they can do that. Because China could handle the border problem with Russia and VIetnam satisfactory back then. They should be able to do that again.

It's a diplomatic victory because it puts the PCA Arbitration ruling as NOT valid and legit enough to give the Filipino's any kind or new upper hand in dealing with the SCS issues. The best card for China has always been to stay steadfast on her rights, historical proof, and directional path to resolve the SCS and watched all the haters complain, and get all dramatic.
 

ahojunk

Senior Member
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Publication Date: July 20, 2016
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672018554171.jpg
Legislators pose in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung Airport July 20 as they prepare to depart for Taiping Island in the South China Sea to reaffirm the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) sovereignty in the region. (CNA)


Legislators from the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and the Internal Administration Committee of the Legislative Yuan, the nation’s highest lawmaking body, visited Taiping Island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands July 20 to reassert the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) sovereignty following the recent release of an award rendered by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Philippines-initiated South China Sea Arbitration.

Lawmakers Chen Ting-fei, Lo Chih-cheng, Tsai Shih-ying and Wang Ting-yu of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, as well as Chiang Chi-chen, Hsu Chih-jung, Huang Chao-shun and Lu Yu-ling from the main opposition Kuomintang, flew from southern Taiwan’s Pingtung Airport to Taiping Island on a military transport aircraft.

During a roughly two-hour visit, the legislators inspected a number of facilities on the island, including its satellite and solar power equipment and weather station. “Taiping Island is absolutely not a rock, as described by the arbitral tribunal, and is in fact an island,” said the KMT’s Chiang, who led the team of lawmakers. “The ROC has administered Taiping Island for seven decades and has continuously worked to improve the facilities on the island, which is fully capable of sustaining human life.”

DPP lawmaker Wang praised the high quality of local agricultural produce after sampling coconut milk from fruit grown on Taiping Island. He also lauded the dedication of personnel stationed there, adding “there can be no question that Taiping Island is an inherent part of the ROC’s sovereign territory.”

Comprising numerous decisions, the July 12 award classified Taiping Island as a rock and not an island. This would call into question the ROC’s rightful claim to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone around Taiping Island.

The award has produced strong reactions in Taiwan. The Office of the President, Executive Yuan and several ministries issued statements following the announcement of the award reaffirming the ROC is entitled to all rights over the South China Sea islands and their surrounding waters in accordance with international law and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. These statements have generated widespread international media coverage.

On July 13, President Tsai Ing-wen ordered ROC navy Kangding-class frigate Dihua to depart 24 hours early on a regular patrol of the South China Sea, and three days later the Coast Guard Administration dispatched a 1,000-ton cutter to the region on a mission of undetermined duration.

The Legislative Yuan issued a statement July 15 jointly drafted by the caucuses of the DPP, KMT, New Power Party and People First Party rejecting the PCA award and announcing that Taiwan remains committed to the ongoing development and administration of Taiping Island across the areas of academic research, environmental protection, infrastructure development, natural resources exploration, security, tourism, and transportation and communications.

Taiping Island, with an area of 0.51 square kilometers, is the largest naturally formed island in the Nansha (Spratly) Islands. It can sustain human habitation and an economic life of its own, and meets the criteria of an island as defined in Article 121 of UNCLOS. As such, the ROC enjoys full rights associated with territorial waters, a contiguous zone, an exclusive economic zone and a continental shelf in accordance with UNCLOS. (KTJ-CM)
 

dingyibvs

Junior Member
It's a diplomatic victory because it puts the PCA Arbitration ruling as NOT valid and legit enough to give the Filipino's any kind or new upper hand in dealing with the SCS issues. The best card for China has always been to stay steadfast on her rights, historical proof, and directional path to resolve the SCS and watched all the haters complain, and get all dramatic.

Right, it demonstrated that nothing's changed on the ground, that just as China said, this ruling is just a piece of waste paper.
 

supercat

Major
The U.S. intervened, and Duterte changed his tone.
Rody: Sea row ruling basis for China talks
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(The Philippine Star) | Updated July 28, 2016 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines – Any bilateral talks with China will be anchored on the ruling of an international arbitral tribunal voiding Beijing’s expansive territorial claim in the South China Sea and West Philippine Sea.

President Duterte gave this assurance during his meeting with visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday at Malacañang, a Cabinet official said.

“The President did mention that whatever talks we will engage in will begin with the ruling. That will be the foundation – the ruling regarding the area,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters in a press briefing.
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So much for the bilateral talks, nothing good will come out of those. Let the Philippines deal with their own problems, such as abject poverty and armed insurgency. China won't help much.
 

solarz

Brigadier
The U.S. intervened, and Duterte changed his tone.


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So much for the bilateral talks, nothing good will come out of those. Let the Philippines deal with their own problems, such as abject poverty and armed insurgency. China won't help much.

Just goes to show that in "democracies", it doesn't matter who's in charge.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Just goes to show that in "democracies", it doesn't matter who's in charge.

This doesn't really have to do with democracy or whatever.

The ruling meant it would be too much for Duterte to reject the ruling in negotiations, as that would probably cause a backlash among his populace... let's give it some time to see where his rhetoric ends up a few months from now.
 

Blackstone

Brigadier
The U.S. intervened, and Duterte changed his tone.


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So much for the bilateral talks, nothing good will come out of those. Let the Philippines deal with their own problems, such as abject poverty and armed insurgency. China won't help much.
President Duterte doesn't have much maneuver room to compromise, due to rampant nationalism that's every bit as strong and toxic as Chinese nationalism. It's unfortunate for Deterte, because it ends pretty much the way China wants it, no matter how long it takes to get there. The real tragedy for Philippines is it has/will accept all the costs of irking China, with no new benefits (Beijing offered joint resource development years ago). Anyone else get the feeling OBOR will bypass Manila?
 
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