China and the South China Sea

Besides the primaries, the focus of most attention on this country has been on ISIS and its defeat.  We've been preoccupied, largely, with figuring out a way to defeat the terrorist group but also to check Russia's neverending ambitions to establish itself in the Middle East for its cherished warm-water port for its navy.  It's not as if focusing on the primaries or the Middle East is wrong somehow.  Each has a huge impact on the future of the United States.

While our collective attention has been distracted, something very troubling has been going on in the western Pacific. China, in a newfound fit of expansionism compounded by paranoia, has decided to extend what is traditionally held to be territorial water rights well beyond the mostly accepted twelve mile limit.  Below is a map of how China is claiming territorial waters:



A full exposition of how China's engaged in claiming more than its fair share can be found here:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/27/tensions-and-territorial-claims-in-the-south-china-sea-the-guardian-briefing

The troubling aspect of this is that we've given relatively little attention to this matter.  As can be seen from the above map, China is infringing on its neighbors' territories as well as wresting from the international community that which pertains to no nation.  The feckless UN can't and won't do anything to push back China's ambitions.  It's allowing China to create islands in the middle of the ocean and then militarize them.  This is China's version of the Iron Curtain, gaining a buffer zone so to act as a tripwire in the event of an attack.  It also provides jumping-off bases should China wish to absorb any of its neighbors. 

With our preoccupation with the Middle East, the primaries and now the late Justice Scalia's successor, the inscrutable Chinese are making a sea-grab.  Given the proximity to China and the distance from our shores, I'm not sure what we could do about this even if our President weren't as feckless as the UN.  None of the countries in the region can match China's firepower.  Any other country with a navy strong enough to stare down the Chinese is on the other side of the globe, except Russia, who probably titters happily at the thought of our discomfort.

Right now, this is of no consequence to us.  Someday, however, the lack of intestinal fortitude to check the Chinese advance in the sea will come back to haunt the international community.  The rule of law means nothing to them, so taking such a bold step is only a small step for them.

This move bears watching.  It may also bear resolution.

(c) 2016 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles