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China claims it has a historical property right over almost the entire South China Sea, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling that says Beijing’s claim had no legal basis under international law. But the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims on parts of it. DWF Head of Transportation Jonathan Moss has explained that China has no right to claim islands in the waters as its own.
When asked whether China has a right to the disputed waters, Moss told Express.co.uk: “Not according to the ruling of the permanent arbitration court in The Hague.
“They derived the judgment from the provisions of UNCLOS, which is the statue that went into effect in December 1982.
“Certainly if you look at the sentence, which is over 100 pages long, it suggests that China has no right to do that.”
Moss also noted that there is a real risk of further conflict in the waters.
READ MORE: Panic in the South China Sea: Europe sends a warning to China
He said: “I think there is definitely the risk of total conflict.
“There have been outbreaks of conflict before; for about 20 years, there was a naval battle in which three Chinese ships engaged the gunboats of the Philippine Navy.
“That was in the Spratly Islands.
“There is definitely a risk of isolated incidents and, as we know, a series of isolated incidents can lead to a major conflict.
As senior Trump officials launch diplomatic and rhetorical volleys in Beijing, the US Department of Defense draws on the firepower of its heavily armed long-range bombers as it seeks to counter Beijing’s attempt to control the seas off the Chinese coast. .
Since late January, U.S. B-1B and B-52 bombers, which generally operate in pairs, have flown about 20 missions over key waterways, including the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan. , according to accounts of these flights from statements by the US Air Force and official publications on social networks.
These missions, military analysts say, are designed to send a clear signal: The United States can threaten China’s fleet and Chinese ground targets at any time, from distant bases, without having to move American aircraft carriers and other expensive warships. surface area within range. of Beijing’s huge missile arsenal.
In this response to the growing power of China’s military, the Pentagon has combined some of its oldest weapons with some of its newest: Cold War-era bombers and cutting-edge stealth missiles.
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