Risks of the Thai Navy “going at night” with China in the South China Sea | World



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The Pattaya Mail newspaper reported that the Royal Thai Navy just held a ceremony to salute the new commander, Admiral Chatchai Sriworakan. Consequently, Admiral Luechai Ruddit withdrew on September 30.

The unspoken agreement?

Under Admiral Luechai Ruddit, the Thai navy has had extensive military cooperation with China. According to Thai media, Admiral Luechai defended plans to buy warships from China. Specifically, the contracts include 3 Yuan-class submarines (Type-039A) and 1 Chinese Type-071 attack landing ship. In 2017, Luechai was then head of the Thai navy, which represented the country to sign a contract with China to buy three submarines. For 2019, Mr. Luechai is also the person who signed the contract to purchase the Type-071 vessel.
In August, due to the economic difficulties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Thai government delayed the promotion of the plan to buy the 2 remaining submarines in the order of the previous three submarines. However, after the government made this decision, Admiral Luechai is said to have sent a letter to tacitly agree with China to continue promoting the purchase of the remaining two submarines.
Specifically, Thailand’s Khaosod newspaper recently published a snapshot of a letter allegedly sent by Admiral Luechai to Mr. Xu Zhanbin, deputy director of the Chinese Defense Industry Technology Department. In the letter, Mr. Luechai asked Beijing to send a secret representative to Thailand before September 30 to sign the necessary agreements to promote the purchase of the second and third submarines. it is against the instructions of the Thai government.

Not only that, in the copy of the letter, Admiral Luechai also suggested that the Type-071 ship that Thailand bought was equipped with weapons equivalent to the Type-071 ships of the Chinese navy. That, he says, is helping to create “a strategic deterrent when Thailand sends the Type-071 amphibious ship to operate in the Gulf of Thailand or the South China Sea.” This would make “the other parties” understand that the Type-071 is capable of unlimited offshore operations. “

“It shows the deterrence and willingness of the Chinese navy in Southeast Asia,” read another paragraph of the letter, referring to the need for the Thai Type-071 to resemble Chinese ships.
The risk that the Thai navy

Type-071 during a training session in the South China Sea

Fear of being divided by China

Answer YouthAssociate Professor Stephen Robert Nagy (International Christian University – Japan; Asia-Pacific Foundation scholar in Canada) said Admiral Luechai’s letter has many issues worth discussing.

“First, the unusual thing is that the navy, not the government of this country, makes a direct request to China. Therefore, the bilateral relations mentioned are not the national government but the military force. This raises the question of the great need to clarify the role of the military in Thai politics, ”said Associate Professor Nagy.

Second, according to Mr. Nagy, what happened also shows that China is actually interfering in the politics of other countries, typically “pushing” through the Thai military as seen.

The third problem he raised was: “The above fact shows that at least a part of the Thai and Chinese army is actively coordinating in the South China Sea, even ready to send warships to help the North. Commandment in this sea. This is contrary to the interests of many ASEAN members regarding the South China Sea issue. “

“This fact shows that the ASEAN consensus is being negatively affected from within due to cooperation between a member’s military and outside the bloc, leading to the deterioration of the ASEAN operational process.” , Associate Professor Nagy concerned.

In fact, if “going at night” with Beijing is too deep, the Thai navy could become an “eye” for China in the Southeast Sea. Even through the “friendship” that Admiral Luechai expressed to China in the previous letter, public opinion has a right to fear that the Yuan-class submarines that will be deployed by the Thai navy in the southern South China Sea may help the Chinese. sea. The Chinese military collects flow data, environmental information … These are important factors for underwater operations.

That poses big risks to stability in the South China Sea, waters where China harbors monopoly ambitions.




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