I would also not be surprised if in the future the Chinese use large “fishing boats” as well to try and block US Navy ships from moving through contested areas in the South China Sea. The Chinese would love nothing more to have a “fishing boat” sunk to portray the US as the aggressors in the South China Sea and to rally domestic support. The US Navy is going to have to really think through procedures to deal with being blocked and rammed by Chinese ships in the South China Sea:
China has announced its intention to build a massive new coast guard ship ostensibly to patrol its territorial waters, protect its fisheries, and uphold its laws. This is a huge ship and its physical characteristics fall far outside the norms associated with the coast guard mission. For instance, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Legend-class national security cutter is 418 feet long and displaces 4,500 tons of water. The Chinese cutter will be over 500 feet long and displace more than 10,000 tons. The ship will be lightly armed, with two 76mm guns and other small arms, but these are not important to its true mission. This ship and its follow-on sister ships are built for one purpose: to move other ships out of the way. [Defense One]
I guess the US has to go through the motions of telling the Chinese that the THAAD missile defense system is of no threat to them. However, I have to guess that US officials know that the Chinese already know it is not a threat and instead are in my opinion using the issue to try and create a wedge between the US and the ROK:
The United States and China have been in discussions about the possible deployment of an advanced American missile defense system in South Korea, a diplomatic source with knowledge of the matter said Monday.
The discussions are aimed at seeking China’s understanding that the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea is not aimed at undermining China’s security interests, the source said on the condition of anonymity.
While the U.S. is trying to explain technical details on why the THAAD is not targeting China, the Chinese side has not actively listened to the explanation from the U.S. side, the source said.
“The Chinese side has been opposed to the THAAD with incorrect information and the discussions are aimed at changing China’s view about the issue,” the source said. [Yonhap]
This just shows the level of concern the Chinese government has for their own people. An irresponsible regime in North Korea is blowing up nuclear weapons right across the border from China and the Chinese government is more outraged by a missile defense system that has no strategic impact on them or would harm their citizens:
Speaking on Saturday (Feb 13) at the Munich Security Conference, Fu said that while her country is displeased with the recent nuclear test by North Korea – formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – citizens are even more concerned by the US response.
“The Chinese public is also angry about the DPRK nuclear issue, but they’re even more angry about THAAD,” Fu said, referring to the Thermal High Altitude Area Defence anti-ballistic missile system the US says it deployed to protect against North Korea.
“It covers more territory in China than in North and South Korea together.” [The Strait Times]
What Ms. Fu is saying is intentionally misleading. The THAAD radar may have a range that looks into China, but the interceptors do not because the system is designed to intercept short to medium range ballistic missiles. It has no capability against ICBMs. I wish someone would challenge the Chinese government to prove the THAAD can intercept ICBMs. If the THAAD could intercept ICBMs then why does the US have the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system fielded in Alaska and California to defend against limited ICBM attacks?
It is pretty clear the Chinese government knows this, but in my opinion they are just trying to drive a wedge between the US and the ROK. If they can pressure the ROK to stop the THAAD deployment they hope this will create animosity between the US and the ROK while demonstrating China’s increased influence. That is all that this is about and the THAAD issue is just an excuse to do this.
This just proves that the Chinese government is using North Korea to drive a wedge between the US and the ROK. Declaring peace with North Korea would mean an end to the reason for the existence of US Force Korea (USFK) which is what the Chinese and North Koreans both want. If China wants a more normal relationship how about they have North Korea stop threatening to nuke the US or turn South Korea into a Sea of Fire? Or how about they get them to stop launching deadly provocations against South Korea and comply with United Nations resolutions?
Chair for the foreign affairs committee of China’s National People’s Congress Fu Ying speaks at the Munich Security Conference.PHOTO: EPA
The US and North Korea need to formally declare an end to 76 years of hostility if the international community wants North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to stop developing nuclear weapons, a top Chinese foreign policy official said.
“North Korea and the US still have not made peace, they’ve been in an extended cease-fire,” said Fu Ying, who chairs the foreign affairs committee of China’s National People’s Congress.
“You need to think how to bring an end to the war and enter a more normal relationship.” [The Straits Times]
You can read more at the link, but in the fantasy land of peace in our time with North Korea does anyone really think the Kim regime would stop their provocations against South Korea? Without the backing of the US, the provocations would likely get worse and more threatening. The Kim regime has never accepted the legitimacy of the ROK and continue to be postured and train for the forceful reunification of the peninsula.
The deployment of THAAD has nothing to do with the radar being able to look into China, but more to do with trying to create a wedge between the US and the ROK according to analysts:
Analysts say China’s leadership is reluctant to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea because a sudden collapse of the regime could spark a refugee crisis at its border and lead to a pro-U.S., democratic Korea on its doorstep.
Kim Heung-kyu, head of the China Policy Institute at South Korea’s Ajou University, said relations between South Korea and China face a test because Beijing views the THAAD battery as a way of strengthening the alliance with Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.
“China does not regard the THAAD system as an issue of missile or radar, but a ‘regional alliance’ among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan,” Kim said. South Korean and U.S. officials made it clear that the THAAD battery, if deployed, “would be focused solely on North Korea.”
Still, there is a risk that the deployment of the THAAD battery in South Korea could make it difficult for Seoul to seek Beijing’s cooperation against Pyongyang, Kim said.
“With regard to the denuclearization of North Korea, I am not positive about whether the THAAD system is a useful option or not,” Kim said. [Korea Herald]
The Chinese government is upset about the talks between the US and South Korea to deploy the THAAD missile defense system to the ROK and their complaints when looked at objectively pretty much justifies the deployment of THAAD to Korea:
China summoned South Korean Ambassador Kim Jang-soo to protest against Seoul and Washington’s agreement to begin talks on deploying a U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea..
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin called in the ambassador Sunday to protest.
It is the first time the Chinese government has called in Kim, a former defense minister, who assumed the post last March.
Earlier, the Chinese foreign ministry had expressed “deep concern,” about the THAAD discussions.
Hours after the North Korean rocket launch Sunday, South Korea and the U.S. said they would begin talks on deploying the THAAD battery. The launch is widely viewed as a covert ballistic missile test to develop delivery vehicles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
“China’s position on the issue of anti-missile is consistent and clear,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a faxed statement, Yonhap News Agency reported. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link, but here is the part of their complaint when looked at objectively pretty much justifies deploying THAAD to Korea:
“Countries, when pursuing their own security, should take into account others’ security interests as well as regional peace and stability.”
The Chinese should heed their own advice because their actions to allow the Kim regime to continuously destabilize regional security and threaten the security interests of South Korea is why THAAD looks like it will be deployed to Korea in the first place.
