China And It’s Conquests!

China has been facing push back for its latest aggression in the South China Sea region (taking advantage of global focus on pandemic) as well as East China Sea region from both regional and other global powers.

While Vietnam has lodged bilateral as well as UN-level protests, Philippines filed two diplomatic protests against China over violations of international law and Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. Protests were filed with the Chinese Embassy in Manila and concerned China’s alleged harassment of a Philippine Navy ship and its unilateral establishment of two districts that cover Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi lodged a protest against China sending its government ships into Japanese territorial waters near the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Chinese ships have intruded in waters near the Japanese-controlled islets seven times this year, most recently last Friday when four coast guard vessels sailed through the area for about 90 minutes before leaving. China calls the islets Diaoyu and claims them as its own.

A U.S. warship has sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait for the second time in a month, Taiwanese and U.S. militaries have said, amid heightened tensions between Taiwan and China and as a Chinese aircraft carrier passes near the island. Two weeks ago, the USS Barry also sailed through the strait, on the same day that Chinese fighter jets drilled in waters close to the democratically-ruled island.

At a video conference with ASEAN leaders on 23 April Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also raised Chinese “bullying” activities in the South China Sea that distract from current efforts to deal with the pandemic. He raised concerns over a scientific report showing that Beijing’s upstream dam operations have unilaterally altered flows of the Mekong, causing droughts in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The US also called on China to close wet markets and urged ASEAN countries to do the same.

In a bizzare move China has announced it recently approved the establishment of two districts to administer islands and reefs in the disputed South China Sea in an apparent bid to strengthen its claim to sovereignty over the area.