US rejects nearly all Chinese claims in South China Sea
Source: AP
By MATTHEW LEE and LOLITA C. BALDOR
WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administration escalated its actions against China on Monday by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijings significant maritime claims in the South China Sea.
The administration presented the decision as an attempt to curb Chinas increasing assertiveness in the region with a commitment to recognizing international law. But it will almost certainly have the more immediate effect of further infuriating the Chinese, who are already retaliating against numerous U.S. sanctions and other penalties on other matters.
It also comes as President Donald Trump has come under growing fire for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, stepped up criticism of China ahead of the 2020 election and sought to paint his expected Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, as weak on China.
Previously, U.S. policy had been to insist that maritime disputes between China and its smaller neighbors be resolved peacefully through U.N.-backed arbitration. But in a statement released Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. now regards virtually all Chinese maritime claims outside its internationally recognized waters to be illegitimate. The shift does not involve disputes over land features that are above sea level, which are considered to be territorial in nature.
In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Groups steam in formation, in the South China Sea, Monday, July 6, 2020. China on Monday, July 6, accused the U.S. of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea by conducting joint exercises with two U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the strategic waterway.(Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jason Tarleton/U.S. Navy via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/07dc9cff9d42047cfcf28799112eb59d
bluewater
(5,376 posts)I have been expecting military adventurism from him as his polls plummet.
China might be too big a target though, I was/am expecting some open attack on Iran, but I guess Trump thinks the public is bored with cruise missile attacks.
Dangerous times, tRump is getting desperate.
cstanleytech
(26,342 posts)in the region.
bluewater
(5,376 posts)Military posturing is about all he has left.
cstanleytech
(26,342 posts)bluewater
(5,376 posts)This is a planned distraction from tRump.
Has anything changed geopolitically besides Trump's poll numbers tanking? Nope.
The discussion, in this subthread, should stay on WHY tRump is pushing this now. The reason is to buttress his sagging poll numbers with a distraction based on military posturing.
Response to bluewater (Reply #5)
marie999 This message was self-deleted by its author.
bluewater
(5,376 posts)I raised the issue of Trump wagging the dog and using this as a distraction.
Other people are free to, and have, raised other points about the OP article, but did not address them to me in this subthread.
It's that simple.
Care to comment on whether tRump is using this as yet another distraction from his inept handling of the pandemic?
Response to bluewater (Reply #10)
marie999 This message was self-deleted by its author.
rockfordfile
(8,709 posts)bluewater
(5,376 posts)Why?
The timing of it. There has been no recent triggering incident except Trump's plummeting poll numbers.
I feel that trump is employing the well known technique of evoking military posturing to short circuit criticism of himself on other issues.
This technique is so well known it has a name, wagging the dog, and was even the subject of a movie many years back. Either Dustin Hoffman or Al Pacino starred in that, I always confuse those two.
Thanks for understanding my desire to keep this subthread more or less on topic.
Response to bluewater (Reply #14)
marie999 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)Letting China exert a territorial claim on the entire South China Sea would be a mistake of massive proportions.
It would be like the US claiming the entire Gulf of Mexico as our territorial waters, and regulating / taxing / inspecting what shipping passes through those waters, even if a ship not coming here and is going to Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, etc.
Roy Rolling
(6,943 posts)Heres the guy calling the shots...
ripcord
(5,553 posts)Better to head it off now since we will be involved with any conflict involving China and the Philippines.
Warpy
(111,407 posts)and handled through the UN. Dumdum's sabre rattling is not going to do anyone much good, I'm afraid.
Cue stock market jitters in 3-2-1...
He's fixated on having China as an enemy and hopes that will scare his morons into voting for him. You know, they sent us that virus to make him look bad and all that.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)China has a veto on the UNSC.
Warpy
(111,407 posts)Xi is playing a few dangerous games these days.
dalton99a
(81,657 posts)or the Gulf of Mexico belongs to Mexico
China's territorial claims are garbage
Tbear
(488 posts)What could Putin gain from any tension or conflict in the South China Sea?
Baclava
(12,047 posts)25 years of cheap Iranian oil and "joint research and weapons development", so they could slip them some nukes on the sly? Perfect.