American Speculation that China Will Close South China Sea Is Ridiculous

Published in Huanqiu
(China) on 9 May 2016
by Wang Tianmi (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Yuzhi Yang. Edited by Paul Lynch.
Recently, General Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, warned America and its allies that if American vessels were to pass the Strait of Hormuz and “threaten” them, Iran would close off the oil shipping lanes in this channel. An article on Forbes.com, an American website, claimed that China could do the same in the South Sea. Experts interviewed by Global Times all said this was malicious speculation and absolutely unfounded.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital avenue in the Middle East. One-third of the world’s oil supply passes through here. Iran and America have clashed multiple times in the Strait. On the other hand, the South Sea is a crucial channel for shipping oil and natural gas. The Forbes article, “Iran Threatens to Close Oil Shipping Lanes, Could Beijing Do Likewise in South China Sea?” implies that Iranian action seems to foreshadow what China would do in the South Sea, especially with China’s increased land reclamation and other “military activities” in the area.

Zhuang Guoshi, a professor at Huaqiao University, responded this way to the American media: The South Sea is China’s economic lifeline. The amount of trading and goods relying on this channel are 60 percent of the national total, and a large portion of imported oil and natural gas also comes through this region. If the route were closed, it would be as if China has cut off its own lifeline. Professor Zhuang believes that those who want to close off the South Sea “could never be China, only China’s opponents.” Seen in this way, the American media theory is more like a threat. Another Chinese South Sea analyst also finds the Forbes opinion ridiculous. It seems that as we get closer and closer to a verdict for arbitration on the South Sea, the American media wants to use the time to pressure and slander China.


【环球时报综合报道】前不久,伊朗革命卫队副司令侯赛因·萨拉米对美国及其地区盟友发出警告,称如果美舰“威胁性”通过霍尔木兹海峡,伊朗就将封锁这一通道。美国《福布斯》网站8日由此事提出一个耸动观点:中国可能会像伊朗一样封锁南海。8日接受《环球时报》记者采访的专家都表示,这是恶意推演,完全是无稽之谈。

霍尔木兹海峡号称中东海上咽喉。全球约1/3的海上石油贸易需取道于此。伊朗和美国历史上曾数次于霍尔木兹海峡爆发冲突。而南海同样是世界上重要的石油和天然气交通要道。“伊朗威胁要关闭海上石油要道,中国在南海会不会也这么做?”《福布斯》网站8日以此为题发表文章称,伊朗的举动似乎是中国未来在南海采取行动的“先兆”,特别是在中国加强填海造地等“军事活动”的背景下。

对于美媒的说法,华侨大学讲座教授庄国土8日对《环球时报》记者表示,南海是中国的经济线,经由该地区的对外贸易和物流占60%,进口油气也有较大比例通过南海,如果将其封锁,相当于“自断生路”。庄国土认为,想封锁南海的“不可能是中国,只有可能是中国的对手”,正是因为如此,美媒的说法更像是一种“威胁”。另一名中国南海专家也认为,《福布斯》的观点纯属无稽之谈。现在距南海仲裁案宣布裁决的时间越来越近,美媒想在这个时候向中国施压,并抹黑中国。
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