Image source,Reuters
The USS Reagan took part in military exercises in the South China Sea in mid-July.
China and the United States had another confrontation on the South China Sea issue at a UN Security Council meeting. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized China’s “bullying behavior” without naming names. Dai Bing, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, criticized that the United States was openly The “sowing discord” among countries in the South China Sea is the “biggest threat” to the stability of the South China Sea.
The United Nations Security Council held a public meeting on maritime security issues on Monday (August 9). During the meeting, Brinken warned that if conflicts break out in any sea area, there will be “serious global consequences” for the global economic, trade and security situation, including South China. Ocean. “If a country ignores the rules without facing the consequences, it will promote impunity and make all regions more unstable.”
Brinken did not mention China during his speech, but he caused a rebuttal from the Chinese representatives attending the meeting. During his speech, Dai Bing pointed out that Brinken mentioned the South China Sea issue and that China “resolutely opposed”. He also pointed out that the United States had not joined the “United Nations Convention on the Oceans” and described the United States as “no credibility in maritime issues.”
What did other countries say?
This meeting was proposed by India, which is currently the rotating chairman of the Security Council, and chaired by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Except for the five permanent members and India, other non-permanent members were present, including Kenya, Vietnam, Ireland and Estonia. Wait.
However, apart from China and the United States, none of the other countries directly mentioned the South China Sea issue in their speeches. Among them, Modi pointed out in a speech through a video conference that ocean trade faces climate change, piracy and other issues, and many countries have sovereignty disputes at the same time. He called on all countries to cooperate to build a framework for mutual cooperation.
In his speech, Russian President Putin also mentioned that countries need to strengthen cooperation to deal with the piracy problem. He also responded to Modi’s speech, saying that countries need to strengthen cooperation in order to achieve meaningful results in this regard.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Myung Ching said that maritime security is a global issue that requires global solutions; he also emphasized multi-party cooperation to combat piracy and ensure maritime economic and trade security. He also pointed out that Vietnam will work with China and ASEAN countries to fully and effectively implement the provisions of the United Nations Ocean Convention.
China and the United States have repeatedly accused each other of the South China Sea issue. When US warships passed through the South China Sea, Beijing criticized the United States for infringing on China’s sovereignty, and the United States often referred to actions as protecting the freedom of navigation of the international community in this region.
China and the United States in the South China Sea: Why the South China Sea is a battleground for military strategists
The “United Nations Convention on Oceans” is an index of international treaties on maritime sovereignty. Most countries in the world have signed and acceded to treaties, but the United States has not.
In 2014, the Philippines filed a lawsuit against China in the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration on the issue of sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea, alleging that China’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea violated the Convention. However, China at that time “not accepted or participated” in the relevant arbitration on the grounds that the essence of the arbitration proposed by the Philippines was the territorial sovereignty of some islands and reefs in the South China Sea, which was beyond the scope of adjustment of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
In addition, British media reported that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army sent nuclear-powered submarines to track the HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08), which entered the Pacific from the South China Sea a few days ago. The report pointed out that the submarine in the Queen Elizabeth battle group was the first to detect the whereabouts of the PLA submarine and identified it as a Type 093 nuclear-powered submarine.
However, China’s official “Global Times” quoted experts as saying that the British media reports were “unreliable” and that the Chinese submarine was likely to have completed its mission and deliberately indicated its identity and issued a warning to the British warship.