The South China Sea: https://www.google.com.au/maps/@16.8356938,112.3313939,6z Informative article: China Correspondent Bill Birtles and Defence Reporter Andrew Greene ... ABC Online News ... "South China Sea: New Chinese missile base on disputed island sparks fresh militarisation warnings." Samthoughts: Today, 17 February 2016, we hear about China's military movements once again in the rich resourced and strategic locality of The South China Sea. The Paracels are a group or chain of islands off the Vietnam coast, in-between Vietnam and The Philippines, and below the coast of China itself. Among others, China, Vietnam and Taiwan lay claim to this Group of Islands - mostly uninhabitable, but the resources underneath and around them are untapped and unmeasured.
If you follow news of this part of the world, you know this is not the only disputed territory - the Spratly Islands further south in The South China Sea is located closer to the coast of The Philippines. These two "chains" of islands are located not only with untapped/unmeasured oil resources below them, but also within one of the worlds busiest shipping routes and apparently some very productive fishing grounds. As well as China, Vietnam and Taiwan claiming their stakes in these Island Groups each pointing to their own historical or geographical reasons, there is also The Philippines, Brunei, and Malaysia. The Birtles/Greene article gives a brief overview on the history of The Paracels that were seized by China from Vietnam, in 1974. Later in 1988, the two countries clashed over The Spratlys. From 2010 onwards there have been accusations, movements, protests to the UN, claims not yet proved of sabotage and military stand-offs. It must be a very busy, intriguing and downright dangerous area to sail through! It will some day make a great series of books and/or films! And so today's attention is on Woody Island in the Paracel's Group. A build up of Chinese "advanced" surface to air missiles, testing of same in the area, and calls from USA for "restraint". So what is causing this strong drive by China to build up its considerable military presence on this somewhat uninhabitable island chain? Control of shipping traffic in the South China Sea? Or just self defence of their facilities on these islands? Possible vast oil resources? Or strategic positioning? All of the above perhaps? And why launch the missiles now, and not during the usual summer months of "war games"? ASEAN meeting? The Australian Foreign Minister's current visit to China? One thing is clear from images taken "before and after", China seems to be converting beautiful natural reefs to artificial bare islands for military facilities and launching pads and runways. And this would have been tracked by the west for a number of years. We still watch and wait. (c) 2016 Samthoughts.com
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AuthorSamthoughts.com is authored by an Australian, who recently discovered a love of writing. CategoriesArchives
December 2019
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