China on the pretext of sovereignty claims based on her perspective of historical maritime boundaries, has carried out incremental encroachment into South China Sea, as part of her ‘Active Defence Policy’ is worrisome for other claimant countries, as well as troublesome for other users of South China Sea following UNCLOS.
While China will like to claim her freedom of navigation elsewhere, but her making it a sovereignty issue in South China Sea may not let it remain a zone of peace. The construction of airstrips and possible deployment of Missiles and radar are not happy signs for other regional and global users of the SCS.
What is surprising is that all global and regional players affected are watching and reporting the progress, while China is conveniently progressing construction. Even the regional claimant countries have been seen to be softer on this issue.
I am sure that all affected countries (regional as well as global) need to sit down together and resolve it, before it becomes too dangerous to be handled. The strategic and military posturing and isolated provocative statements may not help anyone. A peaceful South China Sea is essential for everyone’s growth and stability.
General Asthana
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Asthana Writes 