A few days ago, happening simultaneously or nearly simultaneously: drills in the South China Sea by China and drills in the South China Sea by the United States and its allies.
From The Independent (September 28, 2024):
Chinese forces will take part in the drills on Saturday, including “routine” early warning and reconnaissance exercises as well as patrols around Scarborough Shoal, China’s People’s Liberation Army said in a statement on social media.
“The theatre troops maintain a high degree of vigilance, resolutely defending national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests, (and) are firm in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea,” it said.
The announcement comes after Australia and the Philippines said their militaries would hold planned maritime drills with allies Japan, US and New Zealand in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
The Independent notes that Scarborough Shoal is “one of the most contested regions” in the area.
China’s drills were announced right after the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, met with the U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, “for talks that covered ways to avoid conflict in the South China Sea.” The list of all the ways to avoid conflict has not yet been released. Is “no more ramming and water-cannoning by China Coast Guard ships of other countries’ ships” on the list?
Wang did mention one “way” to avoid conflict. It would consist of “resolving differences with countries directly concerned through dialogue and consultation.” Wang may not have studied as diligently as he should have the column by James Roth on the pointlessness of negotiating with China regarding contested regions of the South China Sea. Or perhaps by “dialogue and consultation,” Wang means “full unconditional surrender” of contested regions by the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, etc.
In its report on the “5-nation maritime patrol in PH economic zone as China holds drill near Bajo de Masinlo,” (September 28, 2024), Manila Bulletin says that according to General Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, “the coordinated patrol demonstrated the participating nations’ ‘collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.’…
“Brawner said the activity ‘will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states.’ ”
