Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Territorial Disputes

"The United States does not take a position on competing territorial claims ... but we believe the nations of the region should work collaboratively to resolve disputes without coercion, without intimidation and certainly without the use of force.  That is why we encourage ASEAN and China to make meaningful progress toward finalizing a comprehensive code of conduct in order to establish rules of the road and clear procedures for peacefully addressing disagreements."  U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

China is the heavyweight of Asia, and becoming the manipulative, cunning and strategically-aware threat on the horizon of other nations who believe they have the geographic qualifications to stewardship of offshore resources due to propinquity and proximity and geological scientific assessments that affirm their 'ownership' rights under the Law of the Sea.

Its heavy-handed shoving aside of other nations' clear rights on management of their offshore resources, using threats and intimidation and threatening military action ill behoove it as a responsible nation among nations.  U.S. Secretary of State Clinton has travelled to Beijing to speak candidly and authoritatively representing her country in an effort to instill a sense of responsibility in the Chinese hierarchy toward its neighbours.

Tellingly enough, the United States has strongly supportive relations with China's neighbours, all of which are extremely sensitive to Beijing's intimidating tactics, most of them willing to challenge China's assertions of primary ownership and accessibility to areas clearly not their own.  The U.S. is urging China to make accommodation with its neighbours without resorting to coercion.  To agree to a multilateral mechanism to result in a fair conclusion for everyone.

President Barack Obama has planned a summit of East Asian leaders which he intends to attend, to take place in Cambodia.  The tension between China and its neighbours is palpable and on the increase as a result of China's belligerent attitude of entitlement.  China is less than enthralled at the prospect of America's interference, as it sees the situation, in a disagreement that entails Asian countries.
"The U.S. has many times said it does not take a position.  I hope they will keep their promise and do more to help stability and not the opposite.  The South China Sea dispute is a complicated thing.  To China, the South China Sea dispute is about the sovereignty of some of the islands there.  China, like other countries in the world, has the obligation to safeguard its territories", responded Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

China, along with other Southeast Asian countries have claims that overlap, to several small, possibly energy-rich areas of the South China Sea.  Countries like the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei feel they too are entitled to those areas.  China placed a garrison on an island 354 kilometres from its southernmost province planning to administer hundreds of thousands of square kilometres of water.  Japan disputes China's plans.

China does not, however, restrict its geographic claims to oceans on its perimeter.  It has expressed a deep interest in the potential mineral and energy riches contained in the Arctic.  The five Arctic countries, Canada, United States, Norway, Denmark and Russia have much to discuss between themselves with respect to geographic boundaries and entitlements.  China has asked to be permitted to sit in on those talks as an 'observer'.

Clearly enough, China's interests extend to the Arctic; it has already sailed a shipping vessel through traditionally icebound areas off Canada's coast, signalling its trade-route intentions without the diplomatic nicety of asking permission from Canada.

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