World News – CA – Chaos in the South China Sea does no good for China-US links

Editor’s note: Bobby Naderi is a journalist, guest contributor to print, radio and television, documentary maker and member of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain The article reflects the views of the ‘author, and not necessarily CGTN views

The Donald Trump administration continues to sell arms to Taiwan and conduct provocative military exercises in the South China Sea.This is flexing muscles, stoking tensions and propelling the strategic region into an unwarranted arms race

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To their credit, the hawkish lawmakers introduced a bill in the House that declares China the main threat to US economic and national security. The incredulous claim is that China has « grown to become the ‘USthe dominant economic and national security threat of this generation « 

The flawed logic of turning the waters into an area of ​​competing diplomatic interests between the two economic powers must be ruled out This comes despite the fact that Beijing has said it has no intention of challenging or replacing the US, and that the new pace of confrontation may add conflict to the China-US relationship

And yet, it is not normally debated in the halls of Congress or studied by the foreign policy establishment in Washington.This guarantees a future problem for the key waterway, a route that gives all countries the region a historic chance to start pushing for a much better region After all, international maritime law says it matters beyond words

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea affirms that the countries of the South China Sea have the right and the duty to use the waterway for the trade and management of marine natural resources They have ratified the convention and can prevent foreigners from endangering the region in terms of security and trade

Here is the strange thing The US has not ratified the treaty on which it has based its claims and disputes with China The US cannot use the mechanisms and rules of the treaty to disinfect the presence of its warships in the Chinese periphery, or implement a policy of conflict in the South China Sea

None of this should come as a surprise, but China can use the same mechanisms and rules to legitimately respond to politically expedient pushes from Washington for an advantage China doesn’t have to compromise on issues of its sovereignty and territorial rights It shouldn’t escape scrutiny that the US is the troublemaker here It’s pretty clear for everyone to see

Overall, the responsibility for securing the strategic waterway rests with China and its neighbors This activity is in self-defense and complies with the 1982 United Nations Convention It is within the framework of the same convention that the US is seen as a troublemaker on the spot who aggressively and illegally promotes military operations for personal interests

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the White House National Day of Prayer Service in the White House Rose Garden in Washington, DC, US, May 7, 2020 / Reuters

Freedom of navigation is a principle of customary international law which states that ships flying the flag of a sovereign state must not be interfered with by others Again, the US signed the convention, but did not has not ratified This means the US cannot use freedom of navigation to challenge China’s territorial rights in the South China Sea It cannot treat the waterway as its sea territory for raging military exercises and a arms race

According to the same United Nations convention, China is rightly regarded as the largest coastal state in the South China Sea.The country has the right to exercise sovereignty over its territorial waters and to organize exercises naval forces for self-defense It can regulate the passage for navigation in the Taiwan Strait, establish sea lanes and transit routes and prevent malicious activity

In the area of ​​domestic politics, it is easy for the US to justify and promote its overly large and expensive military operations and activities in the South China Sea, but it is also incorrect to claim that they adhere to the treaty on the law of the sea, freedom of navigation and international maritime law

The thoughtless policy of exaggerating brawls in the South China Sea and bringing anti-China bills to Congress is also a matter of national ego.It is a politically expedient move and a symbolic gesture of of limited practical importance to show Washington’s hardline attitude towards Beijing and to help Donald Trump win re-election

Many countries in the region understand this Although they focus on national priorities, they seek not to participate in the latest political games and shenanigans of the United States This policy of darkness of night reflects both political motivation in the context of the ongoing feud with Beijing over America’s decline and a reflection of the rapidly changing domestic environment. The understanding is that US participation is of medium importance and cannot enhance safety in the resource-rich and strategically important waterway

In other words, it would be a step in the right direction for the US foreign policymakers to pull out of the territorial swamp, this is another sinkhole for US taxpayer dollars to adhere to international maritime law regarding the territories to which China is entitled, highlight the benefits of shared security and peace, and recognize that promoting a new and dangerous arms race is not helpful to America’s security

The US must be prepared to withdraw entirely from South China Sea affairs and let the countries in the region deal with security concerns themselves China has no chance of regional hegemony and the US does not have the answers to the region’s problems Common interest is to keep the peace and safeguard valuable relations with China, rather than fabricate a new crisis amid the dismal US state economy

Japan, South China Sea, Yoshihide Suga, Indonesia