How Dare America Object to China’s Military Rescue in the South Sea?

Published in Huanqiu
(China) on 20 April 2016
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Yuzhi Yang. Edited by Kevin Uy.
On April 17, the Chinese military announced that a Chinese naval search plane had landed on Yongshu Reef, also known as Fiery Cross Reef, in the South China Sea in order to pick up three gravely ill workers, and to send them to Sanya, a city on Hainan Island, for treatment. The American military had a very sensitive reaction. According to American media, a Pentagon spokesperson said, “It is unclear why the Chinese used a military aircraft, as opposed to a civilian one.” The spokesperson urged China to restate that it had no plans to use military planes near the islands in the South China Sea, as China had promised before.

It wasn’t difficult to tell that the American attitude in this case wasn’t very self-righteous; there was no wording such as “protest” or “blame,” even though “protest” was used in a CNN headline.

What is worth noting is how America is the first country to publicly protest the Chinese military plane rescue mission in Fiery Cross Reef. This further testifies that America’s direct interference and self-provoked China-U.S. confrontation is becoming a major conflict in this region. The territorial dispute in the South China Sea has become the channel for Americans to build ways to curb China’s growth. The South China Sea situation is what it is today because of America’s hidden agenda.

Let’s see what America has been doing in the South China Sea. On April 18, the American ambassador to the Philippines announced that America was supplying $42 million worth of sensors, radars and communication equipment to the Philippines to help them monitor the South China Sea situation. Several days ago, Ash Carter, the American defense secretary, visited five military bases in the Philippines, three of which are right next to the “nine-dash line.” Earlier, America also deployed the P-8, an anti-submarine patrol aircraft, to Singapore.

America has been very motivated in building a circle of allies in the South China Sea to target China. America urged Japan to get involved while also involving Vietnam by asking for Cam Ranh Bay to be open to American and Japanese naval ships. Meanwhile, it worked on Australia to make it an active participant in the South China Sea situation too. The American military dispatch to Australia could be considered a public response.

The USS Lassen, a naval destroyer, the USS John C. Stennis, a supercarrier, as well as B-52 bombers, have all visited the South China Sea recently. These blatant appearances are only the tip of the iceberg in America’s elaborate military and strategic planning.

America and the American military have done so much in this region, yet the Pentagon had the gall to raise questions about the Chinese military plane rescue of three sick workers. This must be rare posturing from one great power to another in the history of international relations.

China indeed announced early on its intention not to militarize the islands in the South China Sea, but China never said those islands could not be used for landing or takeoff of military planes. This is Chinese territory, so it needed defense; the increasing gathering of American military equipment in the area would only make the need for Chinese defense weapons more urgent.

Washington is very clear about how cautious and controlled China is in the South China Sea. Chinese naval actions have not surpassed China’s national interest and pace of growth. China does not have the ambition to challenge American hegemony in the world, nor has it tested the smaller countries nearby with all its strength. China is indeed the most low-key and cautious major country in the world in modern times.

America has faced the direct confrontation of two countries in the 20th century: Japan and the former USSR. They have both confronted America when they were far behind America in economic strength. America knows the true meaning of military action.

Washington is evaluating China with the most stringent standards in the history of major nation relationships; it is almost asking China’s peaceful rise to be as pure as bottled water. American demands toward Asia are that its own military authority and actions are always at 100 percent, while Chinese national defense cannot breach the ocean even half a step.

America needs to demonstrate respect toward China’s rise and reasonable safeguarding of its rights. America cannot pretend China is a subordinate needing lecturing and discipline. China’s rise has changed the power structure in East Asia. The change has to be reflected in the region’s order. The sooner America comes to terms with this change, the sooner we can have a turning point in peacefully removing strategic worries in Asia.


中国军方17日宣布,一架海军巡逻机当天在南沙永暑礁降落,接回了3名重病工人,将他们送往三亚治疗。美国军方对这一消息随后作出十分敏感的反应。据美媒报道,五角大楼发言人在声明中说道:“目前还不清楚中国为什么要使用军用飞机,而不是民用飞机。”那位发言人敦促中国重申,其没有计划部署或在其南沙群岛的前哨运用军用飞机,与中国事先保证的一致。

  不难听出,美方的这一表态不那么理直气壮,没有直接使用“抗议”“谴责”等字眼,尽管“抗议”的说法上了CNN的标题。

  值得注意的是,美国是中国军机前往永暑礁执行救援任务后第一个站出来公开反对的国家。这进一步验证,美国在南海的直接干预和它挑起的中美南海博弈正在成为这一地区的主要矛盾,南海上的具体领土纠纷逐渐成为支持美方尝试在这里构筑遏制中国崛起防线的借口。南海局势走到今天,潜在的爆炸意义浮出水面。

  看看美方近一段时间都在南海周边忙活什么吧。美国驻菲律宾大使18日刚刚宣布向菲提供价值4200万美元的传感器、雷达和通讯设备,以帮助菲观测南海的情况。几天之前美国防部长卡特刚视察了菲律宾对美开放的5个军事基地,其中有3个紧邻“九段线”。再早些美方曾在新加坡部署P-8反潜巡逻机。

  美方同时很起劲地在南海地区构建指向中国的同盟圈。美极力推动日本染指南海,并且拉拢越南,促使金兰湾向美日军舰开放。它还加紧做澳大利亚的工作,引导后者成为南海安全局势的积极攸关方。它向澳大利亚派遣驻军更被认为是对南海局势的公开回应。

  美国“拉森”号驱逐舰、“斯坦尼斯”号航母以及B-52轰炸机等都已在近一段时间“莅临”过南海,这些招摇过市的展示只是美国庞大军事及战略部署作为大冰山露在海面上的一个尖角。

  美国和美军干了这么多,五角大楼竟然好意思举起放大镜检验中国军机针对3名病人的救援行动有什么“军事意义”,这应当是国际关系史上极其罕见的一个大国对另一个大国的装腔作势。

  中国的确早就宣布不追求将南沙扩建的岛礁军事化,但从没有说过将不在那里起降军用飞机。是中国领土就需要有防卫能力,美方军事装备朝南海地区的云集会不断增加向那些岛礁部署防御性武器的紧迫感。

  相信华盛顿很清楚中国推进海洋战略的总体态度是谨慎、克制的,中国海上行动远未超越与国家利益和实力增长节奏之间的吻合线。中国既没有在全球范围内挑战美国霸权的野心,与周边小国处理摩擦也未以实力相逼。当下中国无疑是近代以来人类史上最低调、最小心谨慎的大国。

  20世纪美国面对了来自两个大国的直接战略挑战,一个是日本,一个是苏联。它们都是在经济规模与美国差距很大时就开始对抗,美国是见识过什么是真正“军事化”的。

  华盛顿在以大国关系史上前所未有的苛刻尺度衡量中国,几乎在要求中国和平崛起像桶装水一样纯净。它对亚洲的要求就是美国的军事威严和行动力不打一丝折扣,中国的国防能力不应向海上推进半步。

  美国需要对中国崛起以及合理维权行动表现出尊重,不能假装中国是个应当处处接受其训导的“诸侯”。中国崛起深刻改变了东亚的力量格局,这一变化不可能不在本地区的秩序上有所反映。这一点美国或者早想通或者晚想通,那个时候或将是亚洲和平消除战略隐患的转折点。
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