[ad_1]
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, tensions in the South China Sea have continued to rise.
The objectives of China’s policy in the South China Sea 2020 remain unchanged: to promote illegal claims, while further undermining the claims of Southeast Asian countries through the above activities. field work, national politics and propaganda activities.
Aggression in the field
In 2020, China will continue to use outposts on the Paracel and Spratly islands (under Vietnamese sovereignty) to support naval and marine police operations.
Since the beginning of the year, Chinese law enforcement ships have been continuously present in the South China Sea. The country’s marine police boat 5302 was present at various entities in Changsha in March.
 |
| Chinese maritime forces have become increasingly aggressive in the South China Sea, threatening ships from other countries. Photo: SCMP / AP |
At 3 am on April 2, when a fishing boat in Quang Ngai was operating in the waters off Spratly, it was sunk by a Chinese boat. The next day, China threatened two other Quang Ngai fishing boats with rescuing them and taking them to Phu Lam Island in Hoang Sa, Vietnam, then at night it released these two boats and 8 fishermen from the fishing boat sunk on 2 /. Four.
Scholar Derek Grossman of the RAND Institute (USA) said that the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel by Chinese maritime vessels demonstrated that “China is ready to use force to secure its claim on the South China Sea.”
On April 23, Philippine warships patrolling the Malampaya oil field were targeted by Chinese warship 541. On May 5, three Chinese Coast Guard ships appeared near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. . About 40 nautical miles away, a Philippine ship was drilling for exploration. In addition, the Chinese Coast Guard illegally confiscated the combined fishing equipment of a Filipino fisherman. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has sent a diplomatic note protesting this action.
In the Nam Con Son basin, China invaded the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam when on the morning of July 15, the Chinese marine police ship entered Block 06.01 for the fourth time, where Vietnam was conducting exploration activities. and oil and gas exploitation.
In addition, China also deployed reconnaissance aircraft to Cross Rock (Truong Sa archipelago of Vietnam). Jane’s (UK) news site on May 12 cited satellite images showing PLAN aircraft present at the Cross, including 1 KJ-200 anti-submarine aircraft, 1 KJ early warning aircraft. -500 and 1 Z-8 helicopter.
In August, the Chinese army deployed H-6J bombers on the island of Phu Lam. In October, they sent ships and aircraft to track US guided-fire destroyer John S. McCain, as it conducted free navigation operations (FONOP) near Hoang Sa.
Use national legislation to enforce unauthorized claims
Establishment of the “Tay Sa area” and the “Nam Sa area”
On April 18, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs brazenly announced that the State Council had just approved the establishment of the so-called “Xisha Area” and “Nansha Area” of Sanya City, Hainan Province.
According to the Chinese side, the “Tay Sa area” manages the islands of the Tay Sa Archipelago (Hoang Sa Archipelago of Vietnam) and Macclesfield Beach (Trung Sa Archipelago) and the surrounding waters.
 |
| Phu Lam Island belongs to the Hoang Sa Archipelago of Vietnam, illegally occupied by China. Photo: CSIS / AMTI |
China placed the so-called “Tay Sa district government” based on the island of Phu Lam, the largest structure in the Paracel islands, while the “Nansha area” “administered” the islands of the Nansha archipelago. Vietnam) and its surrounding waters, the so-called “Nansha district government” stationed at Cross Rock, a structure below the Spratlys that China recently militarized.
Promote activities of people living on artificial islands.
China is building self-reliance in the garrison of man-made entities that are illegally occupied in the South China Sea to send more people, including soldiers and “civilians.”
The country’s navy partnered with Chongqing University to test new technology on a 300-square-meter plot of land in Phu Lam, after 1 month of harvesting more than 750 kilograms of green vegetables thanks to sand-grown technology. This technology will be replicated in other entities illegally occupied by China in the South China Sea.
Declare standard titles for entities
On April 19, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of China announced the so-called “standard titles of 25 islands and rocks in the South China Sea” and “55 geographic entities at the bottom of the South China Sea.” .
These entities are mainly concentrated in the western part of the South China Sea, located along the so-called “yellow dock line”. In particular, between these entities are sandbars located deep within the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam, at a point less than 60 nautical miles from the Vietnamese coast or around 50 nautical miles from the Vietnamese baseline.
The list of 80 entities was published on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs. Change the concept of “coastal waters”
China recently announced the amendment (effective as of August 1) “Technical standards for inspection according to the law of ships on domestic voyages” issued since 1974.
In this document, China established the so-called “Hainan-Xisha Maritime Zone”. This area is located between 2 points on the Hainan Island and 3 points on the Paracel Islands.
China has also changed its terminology, calling the area “coastal zone”, replacing the old phrase “offshore.” Meanwhile, the islands of the Paracel archipelago only have a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles, which is unable to create exclusive economic zones to create “coastal zones” as determined by China.
Announced the recently revised Armed Police law
On June 20, Chinese President Xi Jinping signed an order to publish the recently revised Armed Police Law. The new law makes it clear that the armed police are responsible for enforcing the law at sea through the Coast Guard.
Under this law, the Coast Guard is more integrated into the military force, participating in training, drills and rescue operations with the Navy, and in emergency situations, the Military Commission will take power. Coast Guard Executive.
|
| A Chinese navy ship approached the Indonesian navy ship on patrol near the Natuna Islands |
The move is to strengthen cooperation between the Coast Guard and the military, with the aim of increasing pressure on the South China Sea and other disputed areas. With the revised law, the Coast Guard is actually “China’s second naval force” at sea.
Announcing the bill, giving many privileges to Hai Canh
The Hai Canh bill was announced by Beijing on the website of the National People’s Congress on November 4 for a referendum until December 3.
This bill empowers the Coast Guard, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction are infringed by foreign organizations or individuals at sea or facing the risk of being illegally violated.
The coastal landscape brought artificial islands that China illegally filled, renovated and built in the South China Sea within the scope of the protection of this force …
Customs were withdrawn from buildings built by foreign countries in the waters under “management” of this force. Furthermore, Hai Canh is also confiscated and destroyed by foreign ships if they “illegally invade the waters” of China.
It can be seen that the bill is a step to strengthen the cooperation between Chinese Customs and the Navy, creating a premise for Hai Canh to increase its presence in the seas.
Fishing forbidden
The fishing season in the South China Sea starts at 12 a.m. Hoang Sa Archipelago under Vietnamese sovereignty.
Propaganda of false claims of sovereignty
China propagates irrational sovereignty claims in the South China Sea through many ways, such as inserting “cow’s tongue line” into conference documents …
On March 16, on the Facebook and Twitter pages of the Chinese Embassy in Italy, an article on solidarity between the two countries attached an image of “cow’s tongue line.”
They subtly incorporate “cow’s tongue line” into the film, with the rapid propagation speed, from the movie “Red Sea Agent” (March 2018), “Everest – The Little Snowman” released in October / 2019, up to the movie “Take the name of a family” released in 2020.
Refutation of the ruling, interpret the CONVEMAR in a beneficial way
Since the Arbitral Tribunal issued its ruling in 2016, Chinese scholars have written a series of articles rejecting the authority of the Court and its validity.
In addition, China also interpreted in its favor the relevant provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They interpret Article 8 of the Foreword: “Matters not covered by the Convention shall continue to be governed by the rules and principles of the general international law “to affirm that” the UNCLOS never All matters at sea. “
China has since interpreted itself and applied international practice to its advantage, making claims about the establishment of baselines and territorial waters of an archipelagic state that apply to the Spratly and Paracel islands, or making claims about “contiguous waters” and sovereignty over “related waters” are concepts that do not appear in international law.
Direct criticism abroad, especially the US.
All the writings of Chinese authors lead to the conclusion that the United States is a key factor in “destroying the stable peace situation” and “militarizing” the South China Sea, or that the United States is the country that wants to dominate the Sea of South China. under the pretext of exercising freedom of navigation in this sea.
China uses beautiful images to spread a peace-loving, responsible country that complies with international law.
But in reality, these images and China’s actions are not compatible with each other, China’s propaganda on the South China Sea is mostly wrong, but it promotes propaganda to make these wrong views. rooted in the perception of national and international public opinion.
Next period – East Sea 2020: US adjusts its policy, Southeast Asia is tougher on China
Real vietnamese
China Maritime Law Bill: Increases Presence, “Test Blow” for New US President.
As world opinion watched the US elections, tensions in the South China Sea have not been eased by Beijing’s provocative actions.
