Japanese ship transits Taiwan Strait
On April 17th the Japanese sent a destroyer through the Taiwan Strait. This is the first time that Japan has done this.
Taipei Times - Japanese warship transits strait
The Chinese reacted as usual with claims of interference from the Japanese:
South China Morning Post - China gets angry and upset as usual
China claims the transit “Harms the feelings of the Chinese people”. I wonder if the Chinese people consider the feelings of how the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan feel when China sends its ships and air force into other nations territorial waters and aggressively so?
China attacking Philippines
Forbes - Philipines-China Legal warefare - 2024
The Philipines even won a UN legal case against the Chinese incursions into their territory back in 2016:
USCC - South China Sea Arbitration Ruling
ABC Aus - Philipines celebrate victory in South China Sea case
Isnt it interesting, that 10 years later the world still accepts Chinas aggressive movements in the South China Sea? And most people dont know how aggressive this has been:
ABC News AU - Philipines accuses China of damaging Vessels
Sydney Morning Herald - Philippines says three fishermen injured
And now, this week, China has now decided to blockade Scarborough Shoal - an area China does not own, nor has any rights to.
Marine Insight - China Deploys Barrier and Patrol Vessels
While other events are happening in the world, China often does this, to try and hide their dark movements.
Vietnam has Chinese incursions
The same sort of aggressive behavior from China has been ongoing with Vietnam as well. To combat China building all its “fake Islands” as land grabs in the South China seas:
NYT - How China is building is next outpost at Sea
USCC - Chinas Island Building in the South China Sea
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative - China Islan Tracker
As can be seen from all these developments, China has encroached on many of its asian neighbors territories, and this includes depleting vast areas of the South Chinas Seas fishing areas:
BBC - Why are Chinese fishermen destroying reefs in the South China Sea
Mongbay - Island Building and overfishing wreak desrtuction of South China seas
CSIS - Illuminating the South China Seas Dark Fishing Fleets
Honestly, Chinas fishing fleets are destroying the world, but I’ll cvover that in a separate post - it is huge how many countries are affected by these coordinated massive chinese fleets. When you can see them from space, you know there is a problem.
Vietnam has decided to do the same to combat this problem:
CSIS - The Ripple Effects of Vietnams Island builing in the South China Seas
DefenseNews - Vietnam nears completion of militarized South China Sea outposts
The long term destruction that China has brought to this area is having a permanent effect on the local fishermen, and the countries involved. It is amazing this is such a “back of the newspaper” topic.
China aggrivating Malaysia
Even Malaysia has not been immune to Chinese interference:
Inquirer - Malaysia gets taste of China West Philipine Sea bullying
And all the while, these nations have been submitting protests in the UN as well as applying for legal support against these actions of China.
China oppresses neighbors
China’s own gov looks down on all the neighbor nations with little respect (obviously when you consider all the incursions). But here is China, saying this about these local nations that actually surround the South China Sea.
China pressuring Singapore about supporting the Philipines:
South China Morning Post - Chinese defence advisor turns up heat…
China calls Vietnam a “claimant” of the South China Seas islands the Parcel and Spratly Islands:
South China Morning Post - Vietnam accuses Beijing…
Interesting a country no-where near the South China Seas islands has claims to them? Much respect to Vietnam for standing up to the Chinese bullies.
The way the Chinese narrative here spins the incursion of a Chinese vessel into “respecting Chinese claims”. Insane.
South China Morning Post - Vietnam renews demand for ‘immediate withdrawal’ of Chinese ship
China adamantly claims the seas of Malaysia as if it is historical fact:
South China Morning Post - China’s claims in the South China Sea
Isnt it funny, an old map determines the “rights” for a nation now? Does that mean Italy can claim all of the mediterrean including Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Spain, and France because the Roman empire had maps for it? Insane. Utterly insane.
And all the while… China is increasing its intimidation, bullying and propaganda campaigns against all its neighbors. Why do we let this happen? This is Russia’s and North Korea’s tactics and we should be resolutely helping out South East Asian countries to stand on their own right without being bullied by a totalitarian dictatorship state.
USNI News - Shina Upping bullying tactics against neighbors
Security and Taiwan Strait discussion
For a deep breakdown in the whole Taiwan strait and Japanese increase in cooperation in the South China seas:
China Observer - Massive Showdown in Taiwan Strait
“For evil to succeed, all it takes is for good men to do nothing.”