Chinese analyst calls for war in South China Sea

[jimmy olsen]

Seeing this kind of stuff put out through state run media suggests there is some support at higher levels for this view. Obviously this would be borderline suicide for China which doesn't have near the amount of power to successfully strike those countries in the face of US opposition.

Also comparing Vietnam and the Philippines to Georgia is laughable.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2011/09/30/2003514541

Chinese analyst calls for war in South China Sea
'SEA OF FIRE':Long Tao wrote that Beijing should strike the Philippines and Vietnam, the two 'noisiest troublemakers,' to strike fear into other claimants
By J. Michael Cole  /  Staff Reporter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday reaffirmed Taiwan's sovereignty over disputed islands in the South China Sea and called on all claimants to peacefully resolve the impasse.

The comments came after an editorial published in the Chinese-language edition of the Chinese Communist Party-run Global Times called on the Beijing government to declare war on Vietnam and the Philippines, two countries that have been proactive in defending their claims over the islets.

The op-ed, titled "A good time to take military action in the South China Sea," was penned by Long Tao (龍韜), a strategic analyst at the non-governmental China Energy Fund Committee and also at Zhejiang University's Non-Traditional Security and Peace Development Research Center.

"Do not worry about small-scale wars; it is the best way to release the potential of war. Play a few small battles and big battles can be avoided," Long wrote, adding that military action should be focused on striking the Philippines and Vietnam, "the two noisiest troublemakers," to achieve the effect of killing one chicken to scare the monkeys.

Through military action, he wrote, China could transform the South China Sea into "a sea of fire," an act made possible by the fact that "of the more than 1,000 oil rigs and four airfields on the Spratly Islands, none belongs to China."

On the risks of military action inviting intervention by the international community, the author took an optimistic note.

"The US has not withdrawn from the war on terrorism and the Middle East ... so it cannot afford to open a second front in the South China Sea," he wrote, adding that the "decisive shot" by Russia in the Caspian Sea in 2008 served as a model. "[Military] action by a big country in the international arena may result in initial shock, but in the long run, regional stability can be achieved through great power strategic reconciliation."

Taiwan, along with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and China, claims sovereignty over archipelagos in the area, which are believed to have rich oil and natural gas resources.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman James Chang (章計平) said the ministry would not comment on Chinese media reports.

However, Chang reiterated the government's position that the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Macclesfield Islands, Pratas Islands and nearby waters were part of Taiwan's territory and territorial waters, and called on claimants to peacefully resolve disputes surrounding the region through negotiation and dialogue.

Taiwan has always upheld the principle of shelving sovereignty disputes and jointly exploring resources based on the principle and spirit of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, he said.

Taiwan does not recognize any resolution reached without its participation and has called for a multilateral mechanism for countries in the region to participate in discussions to seek peaceful development of the region, he added.

Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan

[Monoriu]

I'm sure someone in the US has written some variation of "nuke China/Iran" as well. 

[Habbaku]

I'm sure someone in the US has written some variation of "nuke China/Iran" as well.

Around here, it's presidential candidates.

USA! USA! USA!

[Zoupa]

to achieve the effect of killing one chicken to scare the monkeys.

[Josquius]

I really don`t get China`s logic in claiming those islands far away from them.

I mean yeah, I got the logic of more land, more resources, grab, grab, grab. But the logic upon which they base their legal claim, for there has to be something, no matter how tenuous.

[Habbaku]

to achieve the effect of killing one chicken to scare the monkeys.

Seems to be a common idiom in China.  Chiang Kai-Shek used it quite a bit.

[Camerus]

The idiom makes perfect sense if you just think about it for half a second.

[Tamas]

The idiom makes perfect sense if you just think about it for half a second.

Dude, this is Languish.

[Duque de Bragança]

Time to play.

[Martinus]

to achieve the effect of killing one chicken to scare the monkeys.

[Warspite]

I really don`t get China`s logic in claiming those islands far away from them.

I mean yeah, I got the logic of more land, more resources, grab, grab, grab. But the logic upon which they base their legal claim, for there has to be something, no matter how tenuous.

THese are the claims. Speaking neutrally, China has no legal basis whatsoever; it preposterously claims archipelagic rights under UNCLOS, yet is about as much an archipelago as I am a loaf of bread.

But you can see the strategic logic - access to potential resources (though these days you're hard-pressed to find a patch of seabed anywhere that doesn't supposedly have untold riches sitting underneath) and control over some major sea lanes.

[jimmy olsen]

When I was in the Philippines I was surprised how many people brought up the Chinese threat and how the Philippines had to be closer allies with the US. 

[Razgovory]

I'm sure someone in the US has written some variation of "nuke China/Iran" as well.

Yes, but in the US any idiot can say what they want.  When some idiot in China writes something like this it means either someone is asleep at the switch and didn't censor the loon or they want us to read it.

I think I see why Vietnam has been inching closer to the US over the last few years.

[CountDeMoney]

"The US has not withdrawn from the war on terrorism and the Middle East ... so it cannot afford to open a second front in the South China Sea," he wrote,

Silly yellow person. The USN has a shitload of ordnance, just laying around, waiting to be used.

[Ideologue]

"The US has not withdrawn from the war on terrorism and the Middle East ... so it cannot afford to open a second front in the South China Sea," he wrote,

Silly yellow person. The USN has a shitload of ordnance, just laying around, waiting to be used.

I know, right?  It's like he thinks our ships are sitting in the middle of the desert fighting insurgents like that land carrier from U.N. Squadron.

Also, Russia ain't gonna care when we flip through to the "People's Republic of China" section of OPLAN 8044.

(Or whatever it's called now.  Has anyone ever won two Nobel Peace Prizes?  This could be Obama's chance. )