Obama stands for "return" to Southeast Asia, the United States intervene in the South China Sea into a high-profile

China Military Report: South China Sea island territorial disputes "related to U.S. national interests", U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has in the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting of the remarks can be said to really surprises. In quite a long time to take on the South China Sea policy is not directly involved in the United States, Why is gradually changing attitudes, and even sudden high-profile public intervention necessary? It contains behind what the U.S. strategic considerations?



Once behind the scenes spoiler


South China Sea was the Soviet Union during the Cold War confrontation with each other, supremacy of the seas, the two countries were established in the Philippines and Vietnam naval base. By the "Vietnam syndrome" of the impact of 80 Americans in the late 20th century into a deep self-reflection, and produce a "stay away from Southeast Asia" in the mood. After the Cold War, U.S. troops to leave the Philippines.

Since then, the South China Sea, the East Asia strategy in the United States once more at the edge of the area, with a U.S. naval experts, the words are: "the South China Sea from the United States more than 12,000 km, is too far away."


As the "United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea," entered into force in 1994, and China's rising influence in Southeast Asia, the basic policy of the United States started the South China Sea by the "no intervention" to "intervention, but not into." 1995, U.S. Department of Defense released the South China Sea policy: it will urge the peaceful settlement of the South China Sea countries strongly oppose the threat or use of military force to resolve disputes, and that peace and stability in the South China Sea has a long-term interests, reiterated that the United States on the "freedom of navigation" of the basic interests.


After that fight, the United States began to "freedom of navigation" as an excuse to make irresponsible remarks on the South China Sea issue. Since 1995, the United States began with Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei six Southeast Asian countries one by one, "Karat" series of military exercises. The exercise by the U.S. Navy's Western Pacific logistics co-ordination group, beginning in mid-year.


In recent years, especially in the Obama administration, the U.S. implementation of "return" to Southeast Asia strategy, the U.S. military has stepped up military activities in the South China Sea. It is in this context, the South China Sea in 2001 following the Sino-US plane collision incident, in June 2009 took place in the Chinese Navy submarine collided with the U.S. warship accident.

U.S. policy adjustment saw the South China Sea, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries in recent years has been attempting to drag the United States involved in the South China Sea to the South China Sea on its increased clout unreasonable proposition. But the U.S. had in the whole South China Sea issue more carefully, essentially hidden behind the spoiler.


U.S. high-profile public involvement


Since March of this year, from U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Colin Campbell, to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the United States series of high-level government officials stand on the South China Sea issue. China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Li Yan United States experts on the "News of the World" reporter that the United States has never been so clearly emphasized in the interests of the South China Sea.


March 10, in Southeast Asia to visit the Campbell position on the South China Sea, said the United States also has interests in the South China Sea, the United States wants to maintain "freedom of navigation" in the hope of negotiating the South China Sea dispute over sovereignty should be "multilateral", it should involve all Southeast Asian countries. In some neighboring countries, the South China Sea South China Sea issue already actively seeking multilateral, international, would have to hope that ASEAN and China as a whole negotiation situation, Campbell's remarks no doubt played a role in concert with one another.


More than a month before "Shangri-La Dialogue", U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to explain the position of the United States of the South China Sea: the conflicting claims of sovereignty which the United States will not declare support for the party, but opposed the use of force, but also against prejudice "navigation free "behavior. A discerning eye will clear, these words appeared to be mainly to China to hear that.


Recently, the ASEAN Regional Forum security dialogue in the region, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. government around the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands in the "dispute" expressed concern, saying this "dispute" has impeded the conduct of maritime trade, blocking other countries into the area of so-called "international waters." She also stressed that the United States is deeply concerned about "the South China Sea" a peaceful solution to help resolve related disputes "is the U.S. national interest."


Clinton's above statement caused uproar quickly. 25, Chinese Foreign Ministry Web site published a paper entitled "Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to refute the distortion of the South China Sea issue," reported. Foreign Minister Yang sharply retorted that Clinton talked about the South China Sea with the U.S. national interest, to talk about the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and urgency, etc., "This looks like the speech is in fact fair to attack China, is to the international community to create a very bleak situation in the South China Sea fans like. "


Containment against China is internal

Li Yan experts believe that the United States, the United States increased emphasis on the South China Sea issue, we must first put the world in recent years interest in the marine and related background increasingly important in the view, increased competition for national marine rights and interests, enjoy the sea hegemony of the United States is no exception. In addition, Obama said after taking office, U.S. diplomacy should "return" to Southeast Asia, the South China Sea throughout the Asia-Pacific strategy in the United States stand out naturally.


According to foreign media analysis, the United States the reason why the South China Sea concerns the rapid increases may be another reason. In early March this year, China to visit the United States Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and the White House National Security Council senior director for Asian Affairs, Bedford, that are related to the South China Sea territorial integrity of China's "core interests" that position.


Li Yan of the reporter said, "Americans may think that since the South China Sea as a core interest of China, then we can put it in her power to restrain China. The more China's core interests, the more to challenge the United States, as the Taiwan issue, Tibet issue so. South China Sea issue will undoubtedly become the United States to contain China as an important starting point for prevention. "


At the same time, with the accelerated modernization of the Chinese Navy, the United States a number of strategic experts believe that China's sovereignty over the South China Sea are actually requested yes right the U.S. maritime hegemony of a challenge, therefore, the United States should, in the South China Sea to contain China.

Vietnam's occupation of the Nansha Islands and other countries want to move

China is the historical first discovered and named, the first under the jurisdiction of the Nansha Islands in the country, the Nansha Islands and adjacent waters has indisputable sovereignty. In the late 60th century, the United Nations announced that a large number of oil and gas resources found in the South China Sea before, no country on China's sovereignty over disputed South China Sea. Since the early 70s, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries have illegally occupied South China Sea, a large number of Nansha Islands in the reefs.


Vietnam was the lone full sovereignty over the Nansha Islands in Southeast Asia, the South China Sea dispute is the biggest vested interests, currently in control of 28 reefs in the Spratly Islands (also has been reported 29). Vietnam not only on military deployment in the Nansha Islands, reefs to enhance share of the infrastructure, to encourage immigration, the Nansha sea area will also be divided into hundreds of oil and gas tender area, and the United States, Russia and other countries cooperative exploitation of petroleum and natural gas.


Also occupied a number of islands and reefs of Malaysia, the Philippines and other countries also cooperate with foreign oil companies for oil and gas resources exploitation of the South China Sea.

In recent years, Vietnam led to some Southeast Asian countries have been trying to South China Sea issue on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit to discuss, or even to cross the "Code of Conduct on the South China Sea," to re-sign an agreement. This was held in Hanoi during the ASEAN Regional Forum, the United States, Vietnam and other countries to the South China Sea "internationalization" of the attempt on the obvious. A hint in the United States, the participating 27 countries, 12 countries support the U.S. position.

Posted in: the South China Sea