Is China really committed to respecting the international court order barring their advances in the South China Sea? Tension between the U.S. and China over the control of South China Sea is rising after two Chinese jets conducted an unprofessional interception of a U.S. aircraft in the region. The intercept is said to have occurred while a U.S. jet was conducting a mission to detect radiation in international airspace.
China revamping its military
China has recently revamped its military in a bid to maximize security in the troubled South China Sea.
The U.S., on the other hand, has called on China to respect the integrity of international waters. In a landmark ruling in July 2016, The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration condemned China’s behavior in the South China Sea. The court forbade China from creating more islands that could be used for military purposes. It further stated that the claim of sovereignty over the waters was baseless.
But the Chinese authorities have largely ignored the ruling. The communist state views the U.S. attempts to spy on the region as a threat to their security. The U.S. is not the only nation at odds with China over the rich waters. Philippine President Rodrigo Durtete has frequently has lambasted Beijing for seeking to irregularly control the South China Sea.
According to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, China has threatened to declare war on the Philippines if Manila presses on with her claims over the disputed region.
Interception is a clear message to U.S.
The interception of U.S. aircraft is a clear warning from the communist nation that it will not watch haplessly as the U.S.
or other Western powers interfere with her perceived airspace or waters. U.S. military sources indicate that a formal complaint on the incident has been launched. It is quite unlikely however that China will co-operate or conduct any investigations to ascertain the authenticity of the accusations.
U.S. intelligence sources believe that the region has become a fertile region where the rogue North Korea has repeatedly tested her missiles despite UN Security Council’s sanctions.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that there could be a major trouble between the U.S. and Pyongyang should the provocative nuclear state continue with its nuclear launches. Following his visit to the demilitarized zone in the Korean peninsula in April, U.S. vice President Mike Pence also warned that the U.S. could consider military intervention to stop missiles launched by the Communist North Korea.
