China is threatening the outbreak of World War III due to a dispute with the Philippines over part of the South China Sea, in which the United States is on the side of the Philippine government. Writes about this Fox News.
During March, Chinese coast guard ships forcibly drove Philippine fishing vessels away from the disputed islands on several occasions, including using water cannons. Similar incidents have happened here in previous years.
As American China expert Gordon Chang explained to reporters, Beijing “does not respect” the joint defense agreement between the Philippines and the United States.
“Twice last month, on the 5th and 29th, the (US) State Department issued written warnings to China that we are prepared to use force to comply with our obligations under Article 4 of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. This is a warning that we are prepared to to war,” Chang explained.
However, China also threatens America with war over a territorial dispute with the Philippines, but does so unofficially. As Fox News notes, recently the English-language newspaper China Daily, which is the official mouthpiece of the Communist Party of China, published an article authored by Yang Xiao, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Justice of the People’s Republic of China. The very title of the publication was eloquent: “Manila (the capital of the Philippines) should be warned against the horrors of war.”
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In the article itself, the author draws direct parallels between the Philippine-Chinese dispute over maritime waters and the mutual territorial claims of European countries before the outbreak of the First World War.
“The lessons of the First World War must be heeded, especially by small states, because inciting conflict will not serve the interests of any country. US military intervention on behalf of the Philippines will also be disastrous for neighboring countries. (…) They do not realize that once In Asia, the “shot from Sarajevo” will be heard, innocent people in East and Southeast Asia will become the biggest victims of the war,” Yang Xiao wrote in an article for China Daily.
The above-mentioned American China expert Gordon Chang notes that these veiled threats are part of the Chinese strategy – to put pressure on all neighbors in turn, looking for the weak link. Beijing alternates between informational and real provocations against the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.
Chang notes that the Philippines is the weakest country of the three militarily. And the problem, he said, is that Beijing does not believe that the United States is willing to actually use force to protect an ally.
“Many people say we will go to war with China this year or next year. I’m not saying we will, but if we do, it is more likely that the fight will start through the Philippines than it will start through Taiwan or Japan. If you look at the situation (…) you have all the elements for a great power war that is starting in the Philippines,” Chang is convinced.
China’s territorial claims to Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan
China has territorial claims to almost all of its neighbors, including Russia. Perhaps the most pressing issue is Taiwan: Beijing considers this entire state to be its province and periodically threatens “reunification.”
Regarding Japan, China has territorial claims to several uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, such as the Senkakus. From time to time this leads to military-political tension between the two countries.
As for the Philippines, some reefs and islands in the South China Sea, in particular the Scarborough Shoal, are disputed territories. The Philippines even appealed to the UN tribunal, which ruled in favor of Manila, but Beijing did not recognize the tribunal’s decision.
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2024-04-07 20:42:00
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