China flaunts muscle to show coronavirus left might intact — analyst
MANILA, Philippines — China's recent establishment of new facilities in the South China Sea might be Beijing's way to show the rest of the world that its might was not crippled by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, an analyst has said.
“What we can say for certain is that China clearly wants to demonstrate that it is unimpeded by the pandemic,” said Nguyen Hung Son, director-general of the Institute for the South China Sea under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.
If any, what Beijing did not plan was to announce the new establishments this early, but was forced to do so to salvage its tarnished global image caused by the alleged concealment and rapid spread of COVID-19 from Wuhan province.
“Although the pandemic might have pushed them to announce it earlier and the anchoring of the search and rescue vessels in the Fiery Cross (Reef) is also probably recurring Chinese activities. And they planned to do that,” Nguyen said.
Just last month, China announced the establishment of the districts of Nansha (Spratly Islands) and Xisha (Paracel Islands), which would fall under the jurisdiction of its self-declared Sansha City. The Philippines protested the move.
A month before that, state-funded Chinese Academy of Sciences launched research stations on Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) and Subi Reefs in the Spratlys, which are also being claimed by the Philippines.
On top of trying to rebuild its damaged reputation from COVID-19, Nguyen further noted Beijing is speeding up building activities in contested waters as a show of force ahead of the 100th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party next year.
ASEAN stand
China has butted heads with smaller countries in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, over its all-encompassing claims in South China Sea, which many observers see as a violation of international law.
In July 2016, the Philippines secured a historic victory on this front when the country won a ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration that gave the country jurisdiction over some islands in the West Philippine Sea, an area in the South China Sea that falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
But the international ruling was not recognized by China which persisted to construct new facilities in the area. Nguyen reiterated that as one body, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) need to counter China by fostering a more “rules-based” approach in navigation.
“ASEAN needs to encourage and promote the trend relying more on the law of the sea to set and maintain the rules-based order on the South China Sea,” Nguyen said.
The United States Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear powered supercarrier USS John C. Stennis continues underway in the South China Sea.
The US Pacific Command just reported that it has received "cargo" from support ship USNS Rainier in the disputed waters.
#GreatGreenFleet's USS @Stennis74 receives cargo from USNS #Rainier in the #SouthChinaSea - @US7thFleet pic.twitter.com/MnJWrow6Vv
— U.S. Pacific Command (@PacificCommand) June 10, 2016
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources conducts an aerial maritime inspection over Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc on Thursday, according to a report of PTV.
PTV says BFAR is checking if the southeast portion of Bajo de Mansinloc remains free from illegal and hazardous floating barriers.
Earlier this week, the Philippine Coast removed the chains surrounding the entrance of Bajo de Masinloc installed by the China Coast Guard. — PTV
The National Security Council condemns the installation of the floating barriers of the China Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc, PTV reports on Monday.
“It ruled categorically that such action by the PRC violated the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen in the shoal who have been fishing there for centuries," NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya says.
"Any State that prevents them from doing artisanal fishing there violates UNCLOS and international law, in general,” he adds.
PTV reports that BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21.
“The joint sail is part of the Philippine Navy's regular engagements with its partners in the Philippines' maritime zones. Bravo Zulu to all the personnel of both ships and those who planned this activity," Ltc Enrico Gil Ileto, Public Affairs AFP chief says.
WATCH: BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21. (????: AFP Wescom) | via Bea Bernardo (1/2) pic.twitter.com/DmJguzJSiF
— PTVph (@PTVph) September 22, 2023
Ahead of the second State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcis Jr, the descendants of the Bai sa Condor and Anta sa Tebouk, on behalf of the Iranun in the Philippines composed of 16 sultans, formally declares ownership of the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoals as patrimony from their ancestors.
The declaration of ownership is led by Sultan Tomas Reyes Cabili, Jr. as part of the advocacy of the Tomas Ll. Cabili Foundation (TLC Foundation).
"TLC Foundation is doing this for our country’s sake as a whole on our claim for what is ours. Not just for our Muslim brothers and the Moro Origins of Mindanao (IRANUN), BUT for all the Filipinos - and the next generations to come. All the Philippines’ descendants of the Iranunis unfurling the historical dimension of the Spratlys and the ScarboroughShoals to strengthen the Philippines' claim on them and complement the theoretical frameworks already presented in the United Nations," Cabili says.
Raymond Powell, project lead at the Gordion Knot Center for National Security Innovation, tweets that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels "maneuvered dangerously close" to two Philippine Coast Guard ships on a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last week.
In a tweet, Powell identifies the ships as BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua. He says these were escorting a small-boat resupply mission to the Philippines' outpost aboard BRP Sierra Madre and were met by an armada of CCG and militia ships, as well as a possible navy vessel.
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