The PRC persists in claiming most of the South china Sea and everything in it. This is an update to a post I wrote 1o-24-12 (Below).
From Reuters: Jan 10 (Reuters) - China defended on Friday its new fishing restrictions in disputed waters in the South China Sea against criticism from the United States, saying the rules were in accordance with international law.
The rules, approved by China's southern Hainan province, took effect on Jan. 1 and require foreign fishing vessels to obtain approval to enter the waters, which the local government says are under its jurisdiction.
Beijing claims almost the entire oil- and gas-rich South China Sea and rejects rival claims to parts of it from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.
Washington called the fishing rules "provocative and potentially dangerous", prompting a rebuttal from China's foreign ministry on Friday.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the government "has the right and responsibility to regulate the relevant islands and reefs as well as non-biological resources" according to international and domestic law.
China also said it would search all ships sailing in the Western Philippines (South China) Sea in 2013, which was never enforced. Perhaps they thought it wise not to attempt to stop and search the US Pacific Fleet.
This is becoming an increasing problem for the region and the US, since the South China Sea is second in size and almost first in international shipping. Already China is at odds with Japan or some uninhabited Japanese islands in the East China Sea.
The PRC has claimed the air space over these Japan islands. The US and Japanese Air Forces flew through the PRC’s claimed air space a day after the PRC’s claim. Japan also has scrambled fighters to chase off Chinese aircraft, from the area.
The PRC’s aggressive policies are designed to maintain a high level of nationalism among the China’s citizens, thus enabling the ruling Standing Committee to keep control of China.
The PRC’s claims are based on some old Chinese maps which indicate China once ruled the South East Asia Region.
China’s strategies are akin to the US claiming all of the Gulf of Mexico or Italy claiming all of the Mediterranean Sea based on what the Roman Empire once ruled.
So, please read on:
Neither do they. The Southeast Asia Countries, Japan and the US wish China would settle their outrageous claims peacefully, but they are acting like they may not. They seem to feel that the South China Sea is theirs. Like it or else.
If they did, wouldn't that give Rome control over the Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, The Middle East and Western Europe?
Does China think it is the new Rome of Asia? Just take what they want by conquest? They have a giant military machine, but lags far behind the US and Japan in terms of technology.
We would know if they actually had government officials and troops running Southeast Asian countries and oceanic territories.
Empires fell and maps were redrawn as new nations emerged. China should know this, with their plethora of empires. There hasn’t been a Chinese Empire since 1912.
How does this logic apply to their Asian territorial claims today? Weren’t those old maps of the South China Sea made by some long gone Chinese government too? Wasn't it named by European Colonials? Maybe these ancient maps were made by one of their wrong governments?
The Americans have even driven on it and the took pictures of all of this.
What more proof do you need that Moon is American Territory? How about Mars? Should the US add Mars to its territorial portfolio?