OpinionSouth China Sea: the US is putting the military cart before the diplomatic horse

Freedom of navigation operations are not necessary to bolster the US’ legal position. Diplomacy is the usual response of other nations, and it is far more consistent with the UN Charter

Washington rails against Chinese ‘bullying’. But some would say that is exactly what the US is doing

4-MIN READ4-MIN

Published: 9:15am, 17 Sep 2021

Five years after the international arbitration court ruling against China’s claim in the South China Sea, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared in a statement: “Nowhere is the rules-based maritime order under greater threat than in the South China Sea.” I fully agree.

While his criticism was targeted at China and its refusal to comply with the decision against its nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea, the July statement also applies to most claimants and actors there – including the United States.

Blinken’s statement is confirmation that the Biden administration is continuing the Trump administration’s aggressive approach to China and the South China Sea.

Around the same time last year, Blinken’s predecessor Mike Pompeo vowed: “We will support countries all across the world who recognise that China has violated their legal territorial claims as well … we will use all the tools we can.”

These belligerent remarks were followed by US sanctions on Chinese companies that played a “role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarise the internationally condemned artificial islands in the South China Sea”. These words and actions increased tension with China, and it is clear that Southeast Asian states’ plea for peace and stability in the region has fallen on deaf ears.

Indeed, the new agreement announced on Thursday between Australia, the US and UK to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia that will presumably patrol the South China Sea only adds to this upward spiral of tensions.