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Activities of Related Parties

China

China conducts live-fire exercise in South China Sea

On Jan. 18, according to China Military Online's post, PLA Navy conducted live-fire with three destroyers, Missile Destroyer Guangzhou (Hull Number 168), Zhuhai (Hull Number 166) and Wuhan (Hull Number 169) from the South China Sea Fleet. The mission consisted of anti-ship, anti-submarine, anti-air firings and so forth. The location of the drill was not detailed.

China warns Japan not to engage in the South China Sea issue

Regarding to the recent interview with Financial Times, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed strong concern over China's building of islands in the South China Sea and recent developments in the East China Sea, Chinese FM's Spokesman Hong Lei, Jan. 19, said that "Japan should act and speak cautiously on issues concerning the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and make more efforts to increase mutual trust with its neighbors and promote regional peace and stability instead of sowing discord. China is on high alert against Japan's attempt to poke its nose in the issue of the South China Sea.

Also, on the press conference, in response to a criticism of a Philippine mayor about the incident that China send a radio warning to the their aircraft when flying close to China's artificial island (Thitu) on Jan.7, Hong Lei said, " The Philippine side made relevant remarks with the ulterior motive of sensationalizing the situation and playing up the tension. Their plot will not work."

As regards of Vietnam's protest over China's placing oil rig HYSY 981 in the disputed water in the South China Sea, Hong Lei on Jan. 2, said that "China's drilling platform is operating in Chinese-controlled waters that are completely undisputed; We hope the Vietnamese side can view this calmly, meet China half way and jointly work hard to appropriately handle relevant maritime issues." According to China's Maritime Safety Administration said on Jan. 20 it would be drilling roughly 140 km (87 miles) south of the resort city Sanya on China's Hainan island, and 150 km (93 miles) west of the Paracel Islands that China occupies and Vietnam claims. The agency said it would be operating there until March 10.

China continued protecting its activities of land reclamation in the South China Sea

In his speech in Japan on Jan. 19, China's ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua said that the development of artificial islands in the South China Sea are for civic purposes that could benefit the international community. He dismissed concerns from some quarters about China's testing of a newly-built airfield on a reef in the South China Sea, stating that the aircraft used was civilian and that all tests were within international laws. Cheng said that the development of China's islands will be of great benefit to maritime safety and enhance the facilitation of potential search and rescue efforts, disaster prevention measures, meteorological monitoring as well as ecological protection efforts

China commissioned another corvette into Yulin Naval Base, Hainan island

On Jan. 24, a commissioning, naming and flag-presenting ceremony of the new "Jingmen" corvette (hull number 506) of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) was held solemnly at the Yulin Naval Base located on Hainan island in China. Jingmen is the twenty-fourth Type 056 Corvette (Jiangdao class).

According to a Chinese MOD statement, Type 056 Corvettes are new-generation light guided missile frigates independently developed by China. It has a length of 89 meters, a beam of 11 meters and a full-load displacement of 1,500 tons.

The warship, independently developed, designed and constructed by China, is equipped with a variety of weapons and equipment, and is featured by good stealth performance, strong compatibility, and a wide range of applications of advanced technologies. the warship will perform such missions as patrolling, alert, fishery protection, escort, antisubmarine operation and anti-surface operation.

Vietnam

Vietnam requests China to pull drilling rig out of undelineated area

On Jan. 19, In response to reporters’ queries about the operation of the Haiyang Shiyou 981 rig and Vietnam’s reaction, Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Le Hai Binh said Vietnam has requested China not to conduct oil drilling and promptly pull its Haiyang Shiyou 981 drilling rig out of the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin. The location of oil rig was placed in the overlapping area between the continental shelves of Vietnam’s central region and China’s Hainan island which is yet to be delineated.

Vietnam reserves its legitimate rights and interests in the area in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related international realties, he stated.

The Philippines

Philippines plans tracking system for civilian flights over disputed sea

The Philippines plans to install a $1-million satellite-based system to track commercial flights over the disputed South China Sea, after China landed its first test flights this month on a reef it built in the Spratly islands.There are about 200 commercial flights through the area each day.A deputy director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Rodante Joya said that "In the absence of a radar in the area, the system will help track aircraft movements, enhancing safety and security." Joya said the agency was waiting for approval from security and foreign affairs officials as the tracking system is to be located on a military base in a disputed area.

China heightening tension with new runways

In his interview with the Philippine state-run radio station dzRB, on Jan. 17, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.stated that "The building of additional runways contributes to heightened tensions in the region, We reiterate that these actions by China violate not only pertinent international laws but also the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea of which China is a signatory along with the member countries of ASEAN. Coloma stressed that the Philippines is determined to "assert the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight" in the South China Sea.

Naval base on Palawan’s Oyster Bay being developed

According to Inquirer on Jan. 18, the Philippine Navy Philippine Navy Vessels are scattered around the Oyster Bay and is being deveopled as a “mini Subic” where the country’s two former U.S. Coast Guard cutters would be based. Oyster Bay is only 160 km (100 miles) from the disputed Spratly islands, where China has been reclaiming a reef known as Johnson South Reef, and building what appears to be an airstrip on it. The move to develop the Oyster Bay naval base into a modern naval facility started in 2014. Once completed, the facility will have a new wharf that could accommodate as many as four large naval vessels.

The United States

The United States deeply concerns with China’s unilateral actions in the South China Sea

Speaking at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore on Jan 22, the U.S. Assistant Secretary Daniel Russel said that “We have seen a massive campaign of reclamation and construction of large military-grade runways and facilities on disputed reefs in the Spratlys.” He stated, “You can't claim to uphold freedom of navigation and then block access to international waters by calling it a quote "security zone".  That's a concept that doesn't exist in international law. We’ve consistently called on all parties, not only China, to reduce tensions in the South China Sea.  We've called on all claimants to clarify their claims consistent with international law. And we've called on all parties to use diplomacy or legal mechanisms, not coercion, to reconcile disputes.  But the pace of unilateral actions to change the status quo is actually increasing, and that undermines regional stability.”

Countries Should Play By Same Rules In South China Sea

In his interview with PTI (India) on Jan. 24, the U.S. President Barrack Obama said during his visit to India last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he agreed to a new joint vision for the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region, "It's rooted in our shared interests in a region that's peaceful and prosperous and where all countries play by the same rules, in accordance with international law and norms, including freedom of navigation." He said "we continue to expand our military exercises and maritime cooperation so that our forces become inter operable. We are increasing our defence trade, and we're collaborating more closely to jointly develop defence technologies." Mr Obama said as President he has worked to renew American leadership in the Asia Pacific because the security and prosperity of the region is critical to its own and that of the world. "I am proud that, even as we continue to meet pressing challenges elsewhere in the world, we've rebalanced our foreign policy and are now playing a larger role in the region."

Japan

Japanese Prime Minister lambasted China’s provocative actions in the South China Sea.

In his interview with Financial Times and Nikkei Asia Review, on Jan.16, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe strongly criticised illegal land reclamation and airstrip building of China in the South China Sea. He said, “Japan harbors very strong concerns over China's unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the South China Sea, and also the unilateral development of resources in the East China Sea. Such a unilateral challenge against the international order cannot be tolerated, and the international community should raise its voice against this.”

Australia

Australia urges China to seek for peaceful resolution for the dispute in the South China Sea

On Jan. 18, in a Q&A with Ernest Bower at Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull cautioned Beijing should avoid unilateral activities that could exacerbate tensions in the region and lead to situation of conflicting with the U.S. He said that if avoiding Thucydides trap is China’s genuinely his objective as President Xi at his word, then he should, and his Government should, calibrate every single action, any action which is likely to promote conflict or tension or run the risk of doing so, is one that should be avoided, particularly if there is an alternative way of resolving the issues. Such the South China Sea matters, he suggested “there is a whole international legal system that enables you to do that.

The United Kingdom

Britain would ignore China’s alert in international airspace the South China Sea

After incident when China warned Filipino pilots to go away while flying near artificial islands made by China, on Jan. 19, the British ambassador to the Philippines, Asif Ahmad has said Britain would oppose any attempt to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight in disputed areas of the South China Sea. He said, “If a British aircraft, civilian or military, was intercepted and not allowed to fly over a space which we regard as international, we will simply ignore it.”

Regional Snapshot

U.S., Chinese officers encouraged by use of rules for ship meetings

On Jan. 19, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson and China's naval commander, Admiral Wu Shengli, spoke for two hours via video conference, highlighting port visits, personnel exchanges and other measures undertaken in 2015, said the official. During the conference, Admiral Wu said that the landings in artificial island were made to see whether the airport was up to civilian airline standards. This would better help China meet its international obligations and provide more public service to other countries, Wu said. "We will certainly not seek the militarization of the islands and reefs, but we won't neglect to set up defenses. How many defenses completely depends on the level of threat we face," Wu added.

The US, Australia call for peaceful resolution for the dispute in the South China Sea.

The press release after meeting between the U.S. President Barrack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Jan. 19 stated that “The United States and Australia share an interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea, including in the South China Sea.” They urged the claimants in the South China Sea should exercise restraint and halt land reclamation, construction and further militarization of outposts, and voiced support for the peaceful settlement of disputes, including the right to pursue arbitration consistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

The U.S and Singapore reaffirms their strategic partnership

The Joint Statement of the 4th U.S - Singapore Strategic Partnership Dialogue on Jan. 22 in Singapore, co-chaired by Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Chee Wee Kiong and United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel, said that Both sides affirmed the strong political, economic, and defense ties between Singapore and the United States. On the South China Sea issues, they reaffirmed the importance of maintaining regional peace and stability and upholding the freedom of navigation in and overflight over the South China Sea (SCS). They also emphasized the importance for all parties to resolve their claims calmly and peacefully in accordance with international law, including the UNCLOS, and urged all parties to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and to avoid action that would escalate tensions, including the further militarization of outposts in the SCS. They also welcomed ASEAN and China’s recent agreement to pursue an extension of the observation of the Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) to all parties’ naval vessels in the SCS so as to reduce the risk of miscalculations in the SCS.

THE EAST SEA STUDIES