(National Sentinel) Provocation: A report in a Chinese state-run news publication contains quotes from a high-ranking member of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force who said that any U.S. warships traversing the South China Sea should be attacked.
Dai Xu, president of the Institute of Marine Safety and Cooperation and a People’s Liberation Army Air Force Colonel Commandant, was quoted in the Global Times as saying Chinese vessels ought to “ram” U.S. Navy warships after first stopping them.
“If the U.S. warships break into Chinese waters again, I suggest that two warships should be sent — one to stop it, and another one to ram it,” he was quoted as saying, adding: “In our territorial waters, we won’t allow U.S. warships to create disturbance.”
Except that the entire South China Sea does not belong to China, despite its name. In fact, several Asian countries have disputed territorial claims in the region including Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand, among others.
Dai also referred to Taiwan in his statement.
“It would boost the speed of our unification of Taiwan … Let’s just be prepared and wait. Once a strategic opportunity emerges, we should be ready to take over Taiwan,” he added.
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China has long considered Taiwan nothing more than a breakaway province. Recently, the U.S. sent a pair of warships through the Taiwan Strait separating China and the democratically-ruled island, but still in international waters.
“The ships’ transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement. “The U.S. Navy will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows.”
China’s government fled to Taiwan, briefly called Formosa in 1895. The island was ceded to Japan by China that same year; Japan ruled it until the end of World War II, in 1945. China’s government fled to the island in 1948 after losing a civil war with the Communists who continue to rule today.
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