China should prepare itself for military confrontation in the South China Sea, an influential Chinese paper said yesterday.
Joint editorials in the Chinese-language and English editions of the Global Times were published as tension mounted ahead of a ruling expected on Tuesday next week by an international court hearing competing claims of China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Taiwan also has claims in the area.
The newspaper said the dispute had already been complicated by US intervention and now faced further escalation due to the threat posed to China’s sovereignty by the tribunal.
“Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups around the South China Sea and it wants to send a signal by flexing its muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China’s obedience,” the Global Times said.
“China hopes disputes can be resolved by talks, but it must be prepared for any military confrontation. This is common sense in international relations,” it said.
Asked about the editorials and whether conflict could break out in the South China Sea, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei (洪磊) said that the government was committed to peace.
“China will work with ASEAN countries to safeguard the peace and stability of the South China Sea,” he told a daily news briefing. “We’ve pointed out many times recently that as for the relevant dispute, China does not accept any decision imposed by a third party as a means of resolution, nor any solution plan that is forced upon China.”
China, which has been angered by US patrols in the South China Sea, yesterday began drills in waters near the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島) yesterday.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense said the drills are routine, the China Daily reported.
US officials have expressed concern that the ruling by the court in The Hague could prompt Beijing to declare an air defense identification zone as it did over the East China Sea in 2013, or step up the pace of reclamation and construction on its holdings in the disputed region.
What response China takes will “fully depend” on the Philippines, the China Daily said, citing unidentified sources.
“There will be no incident at all if all related parties put aside the arbitration results,” one of the sources told the publication.
Meanwhile, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday offered China conciliatory talks over Beijing’s maritime claims.
Duterte said he was optimistic that the UN-backed tribunal in The Hague would rule in favour of the Philippines.
“If it’s favorable to us, let’s talk,” Duterte said in a speech before the Philippine Air Force at the former US Clark Air Base, about an hour’s drive from the capital, Manila.
Vietnam has protested against the Chinese drill and demanded that China stop the actions it says are a threat to security and maritime safety.
Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Le Hai Binh said in a statement posted late on Monday on the ministry’s Web site that China’s moves seriously violate Vietnamese sovereignty and demanded that Beijing stop the drills.
“Vietnam strongly protests and demanded that China respect Vietnam’s sovereignty, behave responsibly, immediately stop and do not take actions that threaten security, maritime safety in the East Sea or escalate tension in this region,” Binh said.
Additional reporting by AP, AFP
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned