American Speculation that China Will Close South China Sea Is Ridiculous

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.