New Trouble for South China Sea?

[PLATO]

It seems that China has reorganized its Coast Guard to more effectively steal islands from its neighbors:

China's reorganized coast guard, which was formally inaugurated on Monday, merges four agencies responsible for fisheries administration, maritime surveillance, customs enforcement and border control. Chinese officials said the move would help boost efficiency in law enforcement and "better safeguard China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interests."

The coast guard's deployment "further demonstrates China's resolve to consolidate its self-acclaimed indisputable sovereignty in the South China Sea,"

4 Chinese Coast Guard Ships were spotted off the coast of the Senkaku Islands and Japanese fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Chinese early warning aircraft that was very close to Japanese airspace.

Are the Chinese trying to intimidate Japan into giving up sovereignty over these islands? Is there a chance that this might turn "hot"? Will the U.S. weigh in if it does?

Along with this Chinese Coast Guard Ships have been spotted recently near the Philippine's Scarborough Shoal. This is prompting the Philippines to look toward increasing military spending.

Are we looking at an Asian arms race developing?

What is the real goal of the Chinese here?

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-coast-guard-ships-disputed-area-19756480

[Sava]

It seems that China has reorganized its Coast Guard to more effectively steal islands from its neighbors

[rah]

They're doing it as part of a deal with the US to spur US weapons exports.

[Dinner]

The Philippines can't even build modern roads or provide toilets in public buildings so they're not going to be able to field anything close to a modern navy. Hell, they're still using old US WW2 ships which the US donated to them because we felt sorry for them so the best they'll ever be able to do is beg the US for more handouts.

I'm still pissed off that the ****ers got uppity and told us get out of Subic Bay so my inclination is to let them rot.

[Sava]

I'm still pissed off that the ****ers got uppity and told us get out of Subic Bay

are you gonna be okay?

[Dinner]

As long as we don't waste any more tax money as "aid" to those ingrates, yes.

[Sava]

Wow. Did a Filipino chick give you herpes or something?

[DaShi]

It seems that China has reorganized its Coast Guard to more effectively steal islands from its neighbors:





4 Chinese Coast Guard Ships were spotted off the coast of the Senkaku Islands and Japanese fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Chinese early warning aircraft that was very close to Japanese airspace.

Are the Chinese trying to intimidate Japan into giving up sovereignty over these islands? Is there a chance that this might turn "hot"? Will the U.S. weigh in if it does?

Along with this Chinese Coast Guard Ships have been spotted recently near the Philippine's Scarborough Shoal. This is prompting the Philippines to look toward increasing military spending.

Are we looking at an Asian arms race developing?

What is the real goal of the Chinese here?

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...-area-19756480

China's first goal is to get the other nations, especially Japan, to acknowledge that there is a controversy over the islands.

[regexcellent]

China's first goal is to get the other nations, especially Japan, to acknowledge that there is a controversy over the islands.

Supposedly there is natural gas there but I can't help but feel like...why does anyone give a **** about these islands again? It's almost like China is fighting over them just for something to fight over. And it gets our balls blue for another cold war so that our movies can have villains in them again that aren't like, well, north korea or some other stupid bull****.

[DaShi]

No one really cares about the gas. At best, there is concern about shipping lanes, but it is really about nationalistic posturing.

[PLATO]

I believe that the implications here are more than a

While I think the chances of an actual shooting war are slim (but not zero), I think this has more to do with China trying to establish itself as the dominant Power in the region, feeding the flames of Chinese Nationalism, furthering its basis to claim Taiwan, and sticking the Japanese nose in it.

I think there may be unintended consequences however. Japan is increasing its defense budget and even discussing changing the constitution to allow offensive action. The Philippines are moving closer to the U.S. and even discussing the U.S. again stationing military assets on their soil. Even Vietnam is courting closer ties with the U.S. to counter Chinese aggression in the islands disputed between the two of them.

If China is doing this to try and secure its sea lanes, then having an unfriendly U.S. led Vietnam-Taiwan-Philippine-Japanese arc around them doesn't seem very smart.

The only conclusion I can draw is that China is so desperate to secure energy resources that it is willing to risk confrontation.

The Chinese may have adopted a lot of the economic philosophy of the West, but "Blood for Oil" would be their real baptism into the Superpower realm....Sadly.

[Sava]

I believe that the implications here are more than a

Then you would be wrong.

The consequences of a shooting war would be nuclear war. The chances of it happening are as incredibly small, it's not worth worrying about. Plus, the consequences are so serious, that we won't be around to suffer through the post-apocalyptic hellscape.

The discussion might be interesting. But it's so far removed from the reality of daily life, that we might as well be discussing the plot of a Tom Clancy book. Which is fine. I love his books.

Just don't let your imagination get the best of you.

[PLATO]

Then you would be wrong.

The consequences of a shooting war would be nuclear war. The chances of it happening are as incredibly small, it's not worth worrying about. Plus, the consequences are so serious, that we won't be around to suffer through the post-apocalyptic hellscape.

The discussion might be interesting. But it's so far removed from the reality of daily life, that we might as well be discussing the plot of a Tom Clancy book. Which is fine. I love his books.

Just don't let your imagination get the best of you.

As I said, I think the possibility of a shooting war is small, but a Clancy Novel on the subject would be awesome!

I also don't believe that if shooting does start that it would turn nuclear. There are such things as limited wars.

[Sava]

I also don't believe that if shooting does start that it would turn nuclear.

Then you would be wrong again.

[snoopy369]

There's absolutely no reason to believe a shooting war over islands = nuclear war. That's absurd. Japan doesn't even HAVE nuclear weapons, and I don't know if the Philippines have US nukes or not on their soil but we certainly wouldn't use them for any reason related to their islands.

Also, China is not generally considered a "superpower", and the concept "local superpower" has no meaning. China is a regional hegemon. The US is the only superpower in the current system (hence why we're able to act like complete ****s and get away with it).