Beijing’s drip-feed of lies in the South China Sea
China’s Communist Party has made a habit of ignoring the facts when legal rulings go against it
Forget about international law. China has become a law unto itself. Facts mean nothing to the gray men in Beijing’s twilight zone as chaos unfolds in the South China Sea.
In reality, President Xi Jinping’s regime bullies its neighbors, such as the Philippines and Taiwan, with water cannons and military drills. Beijing then pushes its propaganda through state-run media.
The truth is considered irrelevant in the pursuit of Communist Party policy. Try this on for size from Global Times, published by the CCP’s official mouthpiece, the People’s Daily:
Despite the fallacies of the illegal South China Sea Arbitration Award released on July 12, 2016, being exposed, the Philippines continues to ignore the truth and instead celebrated the so-called ‘eighth anniversary’ of the illegal arbitration award with Western allies on Friday.
“Chinese institutes released a report thoroughly outlining the fallacies of the Arbitration Award. It explains why the Philippines’ claims are illegal, and why the arbitration award cannot be accepted,” Global Times said.
[These actions are] dangerous, illegal, and destabilizing the region.
Admiral John Aquilino, United States Indo-Pacific Command
The facts:
- The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled overwhelmingly in favor of the Philippines in 2016.
- It determined that Beijing’s claim, including its nine-dash line, was unlawful, as it encompasses most of the South China Sea.
- It also ruled against Beijing’s land reclamation activities in Philippine waters.
- China dismissed the ruling, maintaining it was “null and void.”
Delve deeper: “The EU views the 2016 Arbitration Award as legally binding, [and] all parties involved must respect and honour the award,” the European Union stated last week.
Big picture: China is trying to turn the vital waterway into a “no-go area,” using “gray zone” tactics around the Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands chain.
What that means: “[These actions are] dangerous, illegal, and destabilizing the region,” Admiral John Aquilino, of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, said in an address to the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney.
China Factor comment: At least US$3 trillion of trade traverses across the South China Sea. A military conflict over the Spratly Islands triggered by a reckless regime in Beijing would spark global turmoil.