Five confusions concerning US criticism of China in the South China Sea issue

TheSouthChinaSeaissueisbackintheheadlinesagain,thistimethankstothereportsfromWesternmediathatChinahasdeployedamissilesystemonWoody(Yongxing)IslandintheParacels.ThereactionfromtheUnitedStateshasrevealedanumberofodditiesandinconsistencies.Overall,therehavebeennumerousclaims,discords,critiques,andmythsabouttheSouthChinaSea.ButthisparticularstoryhasexposedatleastfiveobviousconfusionsintheU.S.strategyandstanceinthisregion.

First,aconfusionoftheParacels(Xisha)andSpratlys(Nansha).Inthepast,theinternationalcommunityhasmostlyfocusedondisputesinvolvingtheSpratlyIslandstheSouthChinaSea,withChina,Vietnam,andthePhilippinesastheclaimantsreceivingthemostattention.Concernsovertheso-called“militarization”oftheSouthChinaSeaareusuallyraisedwithregardstotheSpratlys.Asamatteroffact,ChinahasdeployedlimiteddefensemeasuresintheParacelsfordecades.ChinesedefensecapabilitiesontheParacelshave“nothingtodowithmilitarization,”asChina’sForeignMinistryhasclearlystated.Therefore,themissiledeploymentisnotanintentionalchangetoChina’sdefenseposture.TheUnitedStatesseemstointentionallybeconfusingtheSpratlysandtheParacelssoastobetterdenounceChina.

Second,aconfusionof“righttoself-defense”and“militarization.”Article51oftheUNCharterentitlesUNmemberstothe“inherentright”toself-defense.Fordecades,China’sself-defensemeasuresintheParacelshavenotbeenregardedasamajorissue,ascurrentlypicturedintheWest.Infact,China’sdefensesintheParacelshavenotbeenopenlybroughtupbyhighestofficialsoftheU.S.anditsclosealliesuntilrecently.Howcouldthisallegeddeployment,onanislandthathashostedChinesedefensefacilitiesfordecades,suddenlyturnintoarecklessstepbyChinatointensifymilitarizationinthisregion?ApparentlyChinaisnotallowedtodeploydefensecapabilitiesonitsownterritorywhiletheUnitedStatescandeploy60percentofitsNavyandAirForceintheAsia-Pacificregion;continuouslysendspyplanesandbattleshipsforclose-inreconnaissanceofChina’sterritory;andholdmoreandmorefrequentjointmilitarydrillsintheregionwhilesellinglargeamountofmilitaryequipment.That’sanodddefinitionof“militarization.”

Third,aconfusionof“intention”and“capability.”AccordingtoU.S.media,themissilesdeployedonWoodyIslandhavearangeof125milesandpose“athreattoallformsofcivilianandmilitaryaircraft.”Thisisanothermisunderstanding.First,China’sself-defensemeasuresobviouslydonotnecessarilyposeathreattomajorsealanesandairpassagesinthisregion,unlesssomeincidental“innocentpassages”evolveintoseriouslyprovocativethreatstoChina’ssovereignty.ItisridiculoustoimagineChinashootingmissiles,unprovoked,atacivilianaircraft.Second,andmorebroadly,inthissituationintentionisjustasimportantascapability.TheUnitedStatesmaintainsthemostsophisticatedweaponrysystem,defensiveandoffensive,rangingacrossthewholeworld,whileithasconstantlyclaimedtobeaforcefordefendingdemocracy,peace,andorder.WhycouldnotthesamelogicbeappliedtoChina?Simplyput,capabilitydoesnotdirectlyposeathreat,butthe“wrong”intentionsdo.AsforChina’sintentions,thecountryhasputforwardathree-pointinitiativetoupholdpeaceandstabilityintheSouthChinaSea.Chinaisdeterminedtofirmlyupholdboth“peaceandstability”anditssovereignrights,nowandinthefuture.

Forth,aconfusionofthestandardsofmilitarization.ThePhilippinesandVietnamboth“militarized”theislandstheyoccupylongago,andtheU.S.continuestoleadjointmilitaryexercisesandmakemilitarysales.Inthiscontext,whyareChina’sself-defensemeasureslabelledasadirectmilitaryprovocation?Thisisanobviousdouble standardwhichtheUnitedStatesusestotrytomonopolizeinternationaldiscourse.SuchastanceseemstotelltheworldthatitisonlyChina’sbehaviorsinthisregionthatautomaticallyshouldbelinkedtomilitarization.

Fifth,confusionaboutthe“freedomofnavigation”intheSouthChinaSea.U.S.officialsconstantlyclaimtheirrighttoprotect“freedomofnavigation”intheSouthChinaSea.Forthepastdecades,civilianandcommercialfreedomofnavigationintheSouthChinaSeahasneverbeensabotagedbyChina’smilitaryforces.Instead,itistheU.S.military“freedomofnavigation”intheSouthChinaSeathatcouldbelimitedbyChina,ifitisperceivedasathreattoChina’ssovereignty.Thus,itisquiteconvenientfortheUnitedStatestoblameChinaforthissomewhatimaginary“threat”to“freedomofnavigation”togaininternationalsupportforitsmilitaryoperationsintheSouthChinaSea.

ThesegeneralizationsabouttheSouthChinaSeaissueandparticularlytheintentionalsimplificationofChina’spoliciesandbehaviorsmaywintheUnitedStatesacertainamountofsupportinthisregion,butdivergencesanddifferencesareemerging.Forexample,ASEANleadersavoidedcriticizingChinainthejointstatementoftheU.SASEANspecialleaders’summit.Thisdetail,andwhatitsymbolizesaboutASEAN’sstance,isprobablyofmorelastingsignificancethatthemediaoutcryoverallegedChinesemissiledeploymentintheSouthChinaSea.