China Projecting Power in South and East China Seas

[VH]

That American response is weak. Several recent articles and commentaries have made the analysis that China after watching the Russian moves in Ukraine would attempt to structure moves in the South China Sea that emulated what they gleaned from the lack of a strong push back by Europe to Russian aggression.


On the other hand a perfect American strategy would be to "play possum" and lure the Chinese out onto thin ice over this South China Sea bit.


In any event it should be recalled that China is experiencing an economic slowdown and that belligerent moves abroad may be an attempt to deflect attention away from a worsening internal situation.

 

[sferrin]

On the other hand a perfect American strategy would be to "play possum" and lure the Chinese out onto thin ice over this South China Sea bit.

If only. Personally, I'd love to see us ruin their little party by staging an amphibious landing with local allies on one of those "new" islands. It's not Chinese territory so they'd really have no grounds for complaint.

 

[fredymac]

That is a lot of expensive military infrastructure to be placing on top of a pile of sand. I wonder how far above sea level they are building and if they have shielded the sand with enough heavy rocks to withstand the next super Typhoon that comes along that way and brings a nice tidal surge with it. There is a reason those "islands" were below sea level in the first place. Maintaining a base like this probably costs about the same as keeping a carrier task group at sea. Too much "face" has been invested for China to stop now and internal politics carry a momentum of their own especially given the purges and power consolidation (usually via corruption charges) Xi Jinping has been instigating. "Interesting Times" as the Chinese curse goes.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Interesting times indeed. In further news, China is looking at an even bigger ADIZ: China raises prospect of South China Sea air defence zone (ft.com, registration may be required.)

 

[bobbymike]

http://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2015/06/03/chinas_defence_white_paper_is_historic_for_australia_and_not_in_a_good_way_108010.html

 

[sferrin]

Interesting times ahead. Can't wait to see China turn it up to 11 when Hillary becomes El Presidente.

 

[JFC Fuller]

Interesting times ahead. Can't wait to see China turn it up to 11 when Hillary becomes El Presidente.

Meh, they have backed themselves into a corner, they have already found that their ADIZ means jack unless they are prepared to actually start taking down aircraft.

 

[sferrin]

Interesting times ahead. Can't wait to see China turn it up to 11 when Hillary becomes El Presidente.

Meh, they have backed themselves into a corner, they have already found that their ADIZ means jack unless they are prepared to actually start taking down aircraft.

I find myself thinking of Rodney King. "Can't we all just get along."

 

[Grey Havoc]

China making new platform in East China Sea (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

 

[Grey Havoc]

Chinese launch floating fortress project (ft.com, registration may be required)

 

[sferrin]

"Peaceful Rise" etc. etc.

 

[Triton]

Published on Aug 9, 2015

China unveiled a very large floating structure (VLFS) project similar to the US Military's mobile offshore base (MOB) concept.

https://youtu.be/JJc1OTsW1_k

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/21/us-southchinasea-china-pentagon-idUSKCN0QQ0S920150821

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://news.usni.org/2015/09/25/report-chinese-complete-runway-on-reclaimed-south-china-sea-island

EDIT: From an earlier article;

http://news.usni.org/2015/06/16/china-some-south-china-sea-land-reclamation-will-be-complete-in-upcoming-days

 

[fredymac]

Published on Aug 9, 2015

China unveiled a very large floating structure (VLFS) project similar to the US Military's mobile offshore base (MOB) concept.

https://youtu.be/JJc1OTsW1_k

The only ones who have actually built a real example of this (as far as I know) are the Japanese. I'm not sure whatever became of it.

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://news.yahoo.com/u-patrols-raise-stakes-beijing-disputed-south-china-080828322.html

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/us-southchinasea-usa-idUSKCN0SK2AC20151026

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/27/us-southchinasea-usa-idUSKCN0SK2AC20151027


http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/1/6/12/index.html

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://xbradtc.com/2015/10/27/u-s-navy-sends-destroyer-by-man-made-islands-in-challenge-to-chinas-claims/

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://news.yahoo.com/china-respond-us-ships-necessary-means-083412231.html

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/30/us-southchinasea-usa-china-navy-idUSKCN0SO05320151030

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/us-china-japan-idUSKCN0SN0W020151029

 

[sferrin]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/30/us-southchinasea-usa-china-navy-idUSKCN0SO05320151030

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/29/us-china-japan-idUSKCN0SN0W020151029

"We're going to build five islands in international waters and put military bases on them. But don't you dare do anything controversial or we'll start a war with you." ---- China with a chainsaw.

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-11-11/the-pentagon-s-lonely-war-against-russia-and-china

 

[bobbymike]

http://www.janes.com/article/56327/chinese-bomber-exercise-affirms-air-defence-identification-zone-penetrates-second-island-chain?utm_campaign=%5bPMP%5d_PC5308_J360%202.12.15_KV_Deployment&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/Tokyo-on-guard-after-peculiar-Chinese-naval-ship-sails-near-islets

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35031313

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35216579

(Note that access to the BBC's main website seems to be still a bit patchy after the most recent excitement.)

 

[Orionblamblam]

(Note that access to the BBC's main website seems to be still a bit patchy after the most recent excitement.)

What excitement? Have there been exciting developments from the world of the Kardashians?

 

[TomS]

Some yahoos claiming to be "anti-ISIS hackers" ran a fairly massive denial of service attack on the BBC website. Why? Who the f knows?

 

[UpForce]

Some yahoos claiming to be "anti-ISIS hackers" ran a fairly massive denial of service attack on the BBC website. Why? Who the f knows?

This reminds me of the TV5Monde hack/DoS attack (June 2015): the attackers defaced the channel's website with "cyber caliphate" material but eventually it turned out that the hack originated in Russia. For a quite a while now the Russian security services have outsourced many of their online operations to (mainly domestic) cybercrime groups. They're given a (relatively) free hand to operate (abroad) in exchange for occasional services they provide for the government.

This is just one facet of the "hybrid" warfare the Putin administration is waging against "the west". They seem to have a wide ranging interest in probing internet hardware infrastructure, media, financial, civil engineering, industrial etc. operations with a specific view to acquire capabilities to impair these at will, i.e. clearly in line with an offensive purpose. There have also been interesting developments in "weaponizing" social media applications where concerted efforts from Russia have at times probed how easy it is to sow panic or discord (for example) in the U.S. mainland. Things like fake accounts of explosions at a chemical plant (with manufactured pictures and attempts to share as widely as possible), or fraudulent reports of police shootings in areas of tension.

The increasing rate and methodical nature of this probing leads me to think this is probably about much more than mere nuisance and/or opportunism.

 

[TomS]

In this case, I'd believe that it is just a bunch of idiots, since they've publicly claimed it along with a bunch of earlier actions.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35213415

It's not that hard to build a surprisingly large DDoS botnet these days, and the BBC website probably isn't all that hardened against such things.

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/01/07/china-flies-2-commercial-jets-man-made-island-south-china-sea/78400740/

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Vietnam_warns_China_over_air_safety_threat_999.html

 

[Grey Havoc]

http://news.yahoo.com/us-philippines-discuss-concerns-over-chinese-islands-105234043.html

 

[Grey Havoc]

Govt to order seaborne policing action in case of China’s intrusion (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

EDIT: MSDF seaborne patrolling action planned to guard Senkakus (The Yomiuri Shimbun)

 

[donnage99]

Funny how this comes mere days after we agree to start treating their "new" islands like sovereign Chinese territory. Wait 'til they start putting HQ-9 batteries on those "new" islands. And of course this was entirely predictable after the world class performance of the West in regards to Putin's little adventure.

I'm sure if we keep flying b-52 back and forth enough times, china would go home.

 

[sferrin]

Funny how this comes mere days after we agree to start treating their "new" islands like sovereign Chinese territory. Wait 'til they start putting HQ-9 batteries on those "new" islands. And of course this was entirely predictable after the world class performance of the West in regards to Putin's little adventure.

I'm sure if we keep flying b-52 back and forth enough times, china would go home.

Especially if we keep legitimizing their claims by carefully staying outside the 12 mile limit and then telling the world we did so. I wonder if the B-1B can break Mach at sea-level. A few flights like that right over their little islands (okay 200 feet maybe) would send the right message.

 

[Rickshaw]

Funny how this comes mere days after we agree to start treating their "new" islands like sovereign Chinese territory. Wait 'til they start putting HQ-9 batteries on those "new" islands. And of course this was entirely predictable after the world class performance of the West in regards to Putin's little adventure.

I'm sure if we keep flying b-52 back and forth enough times, china would go home.

Especially if we keep legitimizing their claims by carefully staying outside the 12 mile limit and then telling the world we did so. I wonder if the B-1B can break Mach at sea-level. A few flights like that right over their little islands (okay 200 feet maybe) would send the right message.

You really do seem to enjoy antagonising people, don't you?

 

[Grey Havoc]

Beijing steps up building in South China Sea despite US resistance (ft.com, registration may be required.)

 

[VH]

You really do seem to enjoy antagonising people, don't you?

That would be China wouldn't it?