China’s deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea has aggravated tensions in a sensitive region. The two HQ-9 missile batteries were deployed on Woody Island, part of the Paracel archipelago it controls. Beijing has claimed its action is for self-defence and accused the Western media of hyping up the story, but the furious reaction it has evoked from other countries in the region show that they consider Beijing’s deployment a provocation which will contribute to the climate of tension and fear prevailing in the region at a time when all parties want peace to prevail.
China claims most of the South China Sea, whose strategic and economic importance lies in that more than $5 trillion in global trade passes through this vital waterway every year and it has huge deposits of oil and gas. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims to this territory.
Vietnam said the Chinese action was a ‘serious violation’ of its sovereignty. “These are serious infringements of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracels, threatening peace and stability in the region as well as security, safety and freedom of navigation and flight,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said. The Philippines said it was gravely concerned about reports of missile deployment. “These developments further erode trust and confidence and aggravate the already tense situation,” its Foreign Ministry said. Australia and New Zealand have urged restraint. The Philippines has already taken its case to an international arbitration court and a judgment is expected by May, but China has refused to participate in the case and its reaction to the verdict will be keenly watched.
China wants to send a powerful message to US and other countries which have rival claims. The timing of the stationing of the missiles is significant. At a summit of Southeast Asian leaders held recently in California, Vietnam’s prime minister urged the US President Barack Obama to take ‘more efficient actions’ against militarization and island-building. Beijing’s action is meant as a reaction to the increased US involvement in the dispute. “If the US military stages a real threat and a military clash is looming, the PLA may feel propelled to deploy more powerful weapons,” the influential Chinese state-run tabloid, the Global Times, wrote in an editorial yesterday.
As a superpower in the region, Beijing has a responsibility to refrain from actions that will exacerbate tensions and threaten its smaller neighbours. Any provocation from any side will lead to instability in a region wracked by territorial disputes. All parties need to exercise restraint, make concessions and resolve the disputes through international law.
China’s deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea has aggravated tensions in a sensitive region. The two HQ-9 missile batteries were deployed on Woody Island, part of the Paracel archipelago it controls. Beijing has claimed its action is for self-defence and accused the Western media of hyping up the story, but the furious reaction it has evoked from other countries in the region show that they consider Beijing’s deployment a provocation which will contribute to the climate of tension and fear prevailing in the region at a time when all parties want peace to prevail.
China claims most of the South China Sea, whose strategic and economic importance lies in that more than $5 trillion in global trade passes through this vital waterway every year and it has huge deposits of oil and gas. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims to this territory.
Vietnam said the Chinese action was a ‘serious violation’ of its sovereignty. “These are serious infringements of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracels, threatening peace and stability in the region as well as security, safety and freedom of navigation and flight,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said. The Philippines said it was gravely concerned about reports of missile deployment. “These developments further erode trust and confidence and aggravate the already tense situation,” its Foreign Ministry said. Australia and New Zealand have urged restraint. The Philippines has already taken its case to an international arbitration court and a judgment is expected by May, but China has refused to participate in the case and its reaction to the verdict will be keenly watched.
China wants to send a powerful message to US and other countries which have rival claims. The timing of the stationing of the missiles is significant. At a summit of Southeast Asian leaders held recently in California, Vietnam’s prime minister urged the US President Barack Obama to take ‘more efficient actions’ against militarization and island-building. Beijing’s action is meant as a reaction to the increased US involvement in the dispute. “If the US military stages a real threat and a military clash is looming, the PLA may feel propelled to deploy more powerful weapons,” the influential Chinese state-run tabloid, the Global Times, wrote in an editorial yesterday.
As a superpower in the region, Beijing has a responsibility to refrain from actions that will exacerbate tensions and threaten its smaller neighbours. Any provocation from any side will lead to instability in a region wracked by territorial disputes. All parties need to exercise restraint, make concessions and resolve the disputes through international law.
