CHINA TOPIX

11/22/2024 06:18:11 am

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China Claims South China Sea; Japan Joins US And Australia In War Against China?

U.S. naval power

(Photo : Reuters) U.S. Navy FA-18 Hornets on the flight deck of the USS George Washington.

China is claiming South China Sea and adjacent waters, proving their sovereignty over the region through a "solid and legal basis," according to China's ambassador to Australia. 

On Tuesday, The West Australian published an op-ed article quoting Ma Zhaoxu as saying that it was China that first discovered and developed the region. Ma Zhaoxu added that "freedom of navigation in the South China Sea has never been a problem" even if it had been under the sovereignty of Beijing.

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Last week, a US surveillance plane coursed through the airspace above South China Sea, to which the Chinese navy responded to by warning the US aircraft eight times to leave the area.

The incident caused drama to escalate between the two countries, and much speculation over a possible war arose.

State-owned Chinese paper The Global Times warned Monday that "war is inevitable" between the two superpowers. The only solution to the problem is if the US stops demanding China to halt the constriction of artificial islands on the disputed waters.

Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott commented on the issue by stating that freedom of air and sea in the area should be absolute.

In 2013, China declared East China Sea to be an Air Defense Identification Zone, causing Australia, Japan and the US to disapprove the Asian country.

In Japan, media reports claim that China is also considering an ADIZ over the South China Sea, causing further tension between the involved parties.

China responded to Japan's claims by saying that the "rumors" are untrue and that Japan is only creating more tension, adding that it is only exercising its rights upon the region and safeguarding national security in setting up air defense zones, according to The Australian.

Meanwhile, in Sydney, reports said that Japan will now be joining in a US-Australian military exercise for the first time, signaling growing alliances between the three countries. The three countries' militaries will be holding Talisman Sabre biennial exercises around Australia. Included in the exercises are maritime operations, amphibious landings, special forces tactics, as well as urban warfare, reported Reuters.

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