China is considering plans to build an artificial island in the South China Sea to use as a military base from which to project power, according to the South China Morning Post.
According to the report, which cited prominent Chinese scholars and a navy expert, the artificial island would be constructed on the Fiery Cross Reef, where China already maintains some installations. The reef is part of the Spratly Islands and is disputed by the Philippines and Vietnam.
“China is looking to expand its biggest installation in the Spratly Islands into a fully formed artificial island, complete with airstrip and sea port, to better project its military strength in the South China Sea,” the report said.
The South China Morning Post report follows similar ones in some of China’s press late last month that said plans had been drawn up on constructing an artificial island on the Fiery Cross Reef. Those reports said that the project would cost $5 billion and take ten years, and would ultimately produce a five-square-kilometer military base. The reports said that the strategic value of the base would “be equivalent to that for building an aircraft carrier.”
“The artificial island at Fiery Cross Reef will be an unreplaceable military base with great strategic significance due to its location and size. Such a base will realize the value of the South China Sea for China and ensure China’s status in South East Asia,” the Chinese-language reports said, according to Filipino media. The Filipino media noted that the base would fall within the Philippines 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
Such a base would greatly enhance China’s ability to project offensive power in the disputed South China Sea.
The South China Sea Morning Post’s sources—which included Jin Canrong, a well-known professor of international relations at Renmin University—said that the artificial island would most likely be used in part to enforce a future Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea. China caused fierce backlash throughout the region last year when it established an ADIZ in the East China Sea, which overlapped with South Korea, Japan and Taiwan’s existing ones.
At the time the East China Sea ADIZ was first announced, Chinese officials said that future ones would be established when conditions warranted them. The U.S. has since repeatedly warned China explicitly against establishing a South China Sea ADIZ.
Tensions have been especially high in the South China Sea in recent months. Most notably, Vietnam and China have repeatedly clashed over Beijing placing an oil rig in disputed wars. Meanwhile, the Philippines has been accusing China of reclamation of the Johnson South Reef, another one of the Spratly Islands. Manila has also raised concerns about China activities around the Gavin Reef (Gaven Reef) and Calderon Reef (Cuarteron Reef), which Philippine officials said were also consistent with reclamation.
In the SCMP report, Jin, the Renmin University Professor, said that decision on whether to proceed with building the artificial island on the Fiery Cross Reef would depend on progress on reclamation at Johnson South Reef.
“It’s a very complicated oceanic engineering project, so we need to learn from the experience” on Johnson South, Jin said, SCMP reported.
China
Blobbing up from the deep.
You didn't give me a chance to finish my comment
So being first is more important than saying something intelligent....thanks Obama
Don't be a dick my phone changed cells
While he stepped in
I posted what I wanted to say further down
You should see the part where I pretend to be your cell phone.
"You ever type something in and instead of saying "Happy Mothers Day!" it comes out "Crap Suck Dick!"
I mean who invented that algo?
How lacking in a humor bone do you have to be to down flag that?
Element How lacking in a humor bone do you have to be to down flag that?
---
Probably by those that know the history of disabledminds posts. If I were alone in an elevator with Obama and he said that, I'd probably give him the finger. BTW, I did not down arrow. Most of his/her poosts I skip. I'm sure my posts are treated the same way.
Distance wise...Mexico should claim Burmuda
i'm actually fairly pro China by ZH standards i guess
and my wife is Chinese, so....
but how the fuck can they claim islands so far south lol
chinese.radar.spratly islands
Google image search the above. Pretty sweet radar installation.
It'll be nice once they build some more - perhaps the days of disappearing aircraft will end.
+1 Rafter Man
"Fiery Cross" sounds like a good place to build runways to provide safety to endangered airliners. I mean, the US and Brits have Diego Garcia, after they removed the locals.And thanks to Diego Garcia, that missing flight was able to safely land there.
Seriously, the Chinese Empire-in-Waiting is simply doing what the present fading empire (US) has been doing for more than 100 years.
Hey,
We shot those Phillipinos fair and square.
They wuz Commies or sumpthin. Hoowee, them 30-40 Krags would turn those lil fellas into rags.
That is a big poke in the eye to the Philipines and the USA
Dont mess with the Chinese they will build right over you.
This area of the Pacific has some of the richest coral reefs on the planet. Destroying them would be shame. My recommendation is to give them National park status by quietly deploying 100 smart mines.
"that's a nice dam ya gots there at dem Three Gorges... would be a shame should sumptin' happen to it..."
Unfortunately brilliant. They just have to initially build it bigger than an aircraft carrier for a lot less money. Floating or semi submerged floating airfield, brilliant.
At least they're building it instead of invading like Guam, Hawaii, etc
That comes next. This is a staging point, which they don't even have to fight for.
Maybe they'll trade it back to us for 5 illegal Chinese Immigrants. Probably not.
The Philippines, Vietnam, and China's other neighbors will learn what Mexico learned in 1846. Being the neighbor of a much larger and militarily powerful nation is a losing proposition. The giant squid eats everything in sight.
Hawaii will soon annex itself to China. Hedge yourself and learn mandarin...
China to the DC US criminals: "na-na, na-na, boo-boo,: stick your head in doo-doo."
That's a long way from China; barely visible to the North.
But...who is going to stop them?
If they can project more strength there than anyone else its not that far from China then lol
Not to worry, Obama will give them a dressing down and a thorough tongue lashing.
Not to worry, Obama will give them an undressing and a thorough going down.
FIFY
Obama probably looking for his red crayon now! But then again, China not gonna be intimadated by self-proclaimed yankee top gun, even if 'exceptional'.
Damn big aircraft carrier.
China's big aircraft killer : http://www.military.com/video/forces/military-foreign-forces/chinas-df-2...
I guess they are just walking their way island by island to Australia, perfect nice weather Lebensraum (how do you say that in Chinese) for the Chinese, forget about Siberia and all that permafrost and -40C weather, Austalia has nice sunny skies and that interior outback is perfect for Chinese solar panels (dont need gas or oil with all that sun).
Just one problem with their multi stage nuke capable aircraft carrier killer.
Using one would start an unrestrained launch from all sides.
Seems a bit of a weakness, but what do I know.
"tongue lashing?"
I'm in.
Look at a friggin map, what are they thinking? Sometimes you've got to wonder about US foreign policy most especially under the Obamanation, but so far modern Chinese foreign policy seems to be controlled by aliens from Uranus or something.
When I look at the map I wonder what it will be like on a large island built three feet above high tide when a Cat5 typhoon blows through. There's a reason why no one lives on those islands.
I was thinking a tsunami.
Oh BOY! this is gonna be great!
Bullish. Maybe NFLX can expand service to there.
China has as much right to protect itself in the China sea as we do in the Middle East!
"Feel that buzzing in your pocket? That's not just your friend trying to say hello."
Nonsense. China has no legitimate claim to the area around the Spratly Islands.
So your saying we have the right in the Middle East?
That was sarc my friend.
Your equivalence is inapt, and inept.
China has no allies in the South China Sea, and isn't there to ensure freedom of navigation of the seas and air to all nations. The USA does that. Or did. Obama just let it go at West Point that we won't bother with that so much anymore, so local tyrannical regimes are projecting power into that void.
Yes x 2
The US has no ally in the Middle East, unless you are attempting to count Israel as an ally. Israel, who the US has given multi Billions in funding and weapons to every year for 60 years, only to get the benefit of false flag attacks against the US by Israel, direct espionage against the US by the Israelis and their built in dual-citizen diaspora spy network, and the Israelis stealing and also selling US industrial and military secrets directly to the Chinese and others. Who needs enemies when you have allies like Israel?
What?
Wait...No
We got pivots an shit goin on over there.
China to Obumpma: Nothing matters to you. Not historical claim, not international treaties, nothing. So fuck you , draw your sword.
Obumpma to China: I am a confused little man stiring up trouble all over the world. I want to suck cock.
There's no George c Marshall that has this whitehouses ear. They are 2 or three moves behind but they think they are still relevant.
Why is it blocked on Google earth. Or more importantly by whom was it blocked
Strait of Malacca. A threat to keep everyone on your court.
China must occupy the Strait of Malacca because it is VERY IMPORTANT to its national security. This is a precedent that has been set by the U.S. in its own military based foreign policy.
It's very dangerous to be a small fish in a pond with a few large, very hungry sharks.
For thousands of years China has not occupied the Strait of Malacca, nor laid claim to the South China Sea. Now, suddenly, these areas are VERY IMPORTANT to Chinese national security? Bullshit! Just very important to Chinese aspirations of power. Power based on bullshit never lasts long.
It's not about occupying. It's about projection of power.
The US Navy projects power through the Straits in order to keep shipping flowing, along with other nations.
China just announced a naval/air base a few hundred nautical miles closer to the Strait that they intend to build.
It is a strategic move to protect their oil routes from the Middle East and other goods and also to force the US to rethink some of their game theory.
You now have that card in your hand to threaten or protect one of the few major shipping channels that countries in your region rely on.
It's a good move ;)
Well, there's a moral component too, however well played you think this was. It isn't all "Good". China is playing its hand in all cases as if the human economic world is a zero sum game. Just like the Japanese Empire in the fateful first half of the 20th century. It isn't out there to ensure freedom of navigation of the seas, which increases the pie for everyone, even them. It is there to ensure freedom of navigation of china bound raw materials and outward bound trade goods and of course chinese resource extraction assets.
America and Japan were on the same side, vis-a-vis China, in the last oart of the 19th and the first few years of the 20th century. Smedley Butler's account of the Boxer Rebellion is interesting. The spice must flow.
The American occupation of The Philippines is an interesting precedent. Why was it necessary for America to occupy and maintain a military government of The Philippines for 40 years after she defeated Spain?
I think it is a good play on their part. None of the other Asian countries in my view are friendly to China. They fear them.
If you will recall the Sino-Vietnamese war etc.
What is the risk, any move you make will either push the other Asians countries to the West or will make them re-consider their stand to neutral.
The US is trying to push back into the Pacific and you have to counter and show you are not weak.
The counter in my view is to push the US to make a stand and showing how they will abandon allies.
Force division in the Philippines, Japan, South Korea.
It's already there.
China has to start buying off political leaders and color-revolutionizing the ones who are reluctant.
You know, like the US has been doing for decades.
China had better watch it because America and Mossad will hijack another Boeing 777 passenger jet
> Just very important to Chinese aspirations of power. Power based on bullshit never lasts long.
I don't know about that. I agree their claims are just straight up insane but they're the only game in town unless pretty much every single other Sino groups together and takes them on. Japan would have to be involved as well.
I don't disagree that the Chinese claims are bogus, but are they any more insane than those of America's "Monroe Doctrine"? Who the fuck gave James Monroe the right to say who the rest of the Western Hemisphere could make alliances with (except for the English claims)? The U.S. Constitution sure as hell didn't.
The Monroe Doctrine was and is an illegal power grab, unilaterally conceived, without Congressional approval, by Monroe and his Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams.
The United Kingdom, for much of the early years of the Monroe Doctrine, was the sole nation enforcing it through the use of its navy (the United States still lacked sufficient naval capabilities to contribute to the effective enforcement of the doctrine as declared).
Amerika Str0nk! for over 150 years.
Or rephrased: "For thousands of years America has not occupied Iraq or any or the rest of the Mideast (not to mention Ukraine and the rest of Europe), nor laid claim to the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Now, suddenly, these areas are VERY IMPORTANT to American national security? Bullshit! Just very important to American aspirations of power. Power based on bullshit never lasts long."
It's lasted over a hundred years. When will it stop?
Not a bad idea. Then they can claim 200 miles of water encircling the artificial island as theirs, then build another island in that realm and claim more, and and and. Fuckin brilliant!
Personally, I think that global warming (sea level rise) will take care of these new parts of China.
The Chinese can just add a few inches of pavement to their new "island" if/when the sea level rises a few inches. It's amazing what a nation can do when it has over a billion serfs at its disposal. Look what America has done with just a couple hundred million serfs.
Whats all this talk about gerbil warming.
Is that what I think it is?
...Nevermind.
Oh, shit, Agile Obama needs to rip himself away from Ukraine, Syria and Africa and jump back to that fucking Pacific Pivot so he can project more American military might into that area.
He is busy emptying gitmo of psychopaths with the blood of thousands and tens of thousands on their hands, in return for addled deserters with a clear treasonous bent. In other words doing the work of his core base.
Don't know about the Gitmo inmates with the blood of tens of thousands on their hands, but that charge against Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld is well documented.
let them build it - gives something for the US to invade and blow up
alternatively, the US can test their drone technology by doing tactical "take-outs" with their team of joystick loving military nerds
China better be watching USA with a cold calculating eye, they're next. US dogs of war yapping relentlessly: http://threatjournal.com/archive/tj06072014.html announcement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel that the U.S. would be expanding its military presence in Bulgaria and Romania, including new deployments of warships, aircraft, troops and land-based missile defense installations to the region. June 7, 2014
President Obama pledged $1 BILLION dollars to help boost NATO military preparedness in Europe, saying that U.S. will be prepared for any contingencies if Russia tries to threaten any other neighboring countries.
Who is the threat again?
The only problem with this is we are broke. We don't have any money to use for military buildups. It's all going to EBT cards... etc. The U.S. dogs of war can yap all day long, but the chances of them being loosed is minimal. That's why Russia and China are getting so damned bold... ;-D
Time for US military aid to Vietnam, Phillipines, Malaysia, Indonesia to ramp up sharply.
You can see it coming from a mile away.
Remilitarized Japan, too.
In five years, a wedge will start to form between China and Russia, too.
Yes, the current marriage between China and Russia is one of short-term convenience. Siberia may be speaking Chinese in 20 years.
100,000,000 single Chinese men who can´t get wives (one child policy that led to aborted baby girls) may get guns and orders to march north instead...
they are both playing a zero sum game.
Cool, something to nuke with no collateral damage.
You mean an all out exchange with China, because that is what it will be. The guys in Guam (etc) probably don't want that to happen. Even though we deployed a THAAD unit there and have Standard-3's with Aegis/X-Band around the Sea of Japan. A lot of people would die.
Oh come on get serious,none of the stuff we have can compare to the Russians.They have the S400,greatest weapon system ever. s/
JHU/APL -> Fort Greely and Vandenberg.
I'd rather not test them in real world scenarios.
If people don't mind :)
No, I was just making an observation about the floating base itself.
The Chinese read my ZH coments from early last year and decided to build it. I suggested that. People people do listen to Q88x2.. Q99x2 he lives. FU Goldman Sachs. And FU Queenies too.
How many USA FRNs will it take?
And I don't mean cost/spend - landfill - and there is sure to be enough.
I don't hear Obama talking about sanctions against China. I guess it has not crossed his mind yet.
He will after he learns about this reading the news.
He can't read but he will watch it on Aljazzra.
what is funny, you even believe sanctions on russia is Obama's idea..try Soros
"Comming soon, mini missiles that home in on specific cell phones."
"Is that a bomb in your pocket or are you just glad to see me.?"
Ok Chinese people, here is another idea: do the world a favor and arrest Loyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon.
China is getting smart. They waste too much money on useless ghost cities. The same money poured into geo-strategic projects like this that offer a chance to increase Chinese influence over regional resources is a much smarter play in every sense.
China may want to stop building ghost cities and start building naval and air assets to control regional waters and thus regional resources. The USA has used it's military to enforce Washington's strategic and military power projection goals all over the earth. It would be a natural and wise move for China to invest some of it's trillions in reserves on more forward looking projects to defend and expand it's area of interest. This story will not go down well in Washington, and no time is better for China to make such moves than now. The USA has just gambled on an end game advance on Russian European interests, if Russia pushes back, that gives cover for China to act in their part of the world. Obama and his team of neo-cons are making fools of themselves in the Ukraine, and now China is getting ready to make them into even bigger fools.
I am very pleased to see all the positive developments in China. China is so strong and has learned the lesson about passive isolation. It is exciting to see China take these aggressive steps against the cowards in America and Europe who only seem to be able to bomb weak 3rd world countries.
Wait your turn.
If you have any shit worth having...
We'll get to you eventually.
Build it and they will come.
The US should invade the moon and stay there
LOL this is literally Keynesian economics at its finest. They are going to dig up half of fucking Australia to not only build ghost cities but now to build a whole island...
LOL this is literally Keynesian economics at its finest. They are going to dig up half of fucking Australia to not only build ghost cities but now to build a whole island...
OH! It's from The Diplomat.
Never mind.
Johnson Atoll is available.
I guess no Chinese leaders wanna be another Chamberlain.
From 'Economics and The Public Welfare' by Benjamin Anderson. Published 1949. Sound familiar? Highly recommend reading it.
CHAPTER
1
The Prewar World, 1913
Those who have an adult's recollection and an adult's understanding of the
world which preceded the first World War look back upon it with a great
nostalgia. There was a sense of security then which has never since existed.
Progress was generally taken for granted. It was even necessary at times for
scholars in addressing scholarly audiences-as, for example, Leonard T. Hobhouse
in an address at Columbia University in
19 I
a-to make the distinction
between progress and evolution and to point out that evolution might not always
be progressive. The theoretical distinction was recognized, but the experience of
the preceding century, so far as social and economic evolution was concerned,
had made the distinction seem' unreal. We had had a prolonged period in which
decade after decade had seen increasing political freedom, the progressive spread
of democratic institutions, the steady lifting of the standard of life for the masses
of men. We had even come to the point where some were asserting, incorrectly,
that the problem of production had been solved, that enough was'being produced,
and that with better distribution everybody could be made comfortable.
Zero is purposely allowing the BRICS more power. Anyone who has read about the idiot and his cronies in the WH should know this. My post below should scare everyone when thinking of the future.
so now they figured out how to build an aircraft carrier