Commentary: Will the South China Sea issue be a tipping point of China-U.S. relations?
BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The increasingly active U.S. military presence in the South China Sea region is fanning tensions in the region, and fueling concerns that it may lead to a tipping point in China-U.S. ties.
On Tuesday, a U.S. EP-3 aircraft undertook close reconnaissance near Hainan Island forcing two Chinese fighter jets, which maintained a safe distance from the aircraft, to track and monitor its activities.
United States flag-bearing warships and military aircraft have been engaged in reconnaissance in the guise of "freedom of navigation and flyover."
Last week, the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence sailed within 12 nautical miles of Yongshu Jiao in the Nansha Islands without Chinese permission: A clear violation of China's sovereignty.
This incident, which occurred close to Hainan Island, brings a similar event to mind. On April 1, 2001, a U.S. EP-3 reconnaissance aircraft caused a Chinese fighter jet to crash in waters off Hainan, leading to the most serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries in decades.
The current military action in the region aggrandizes the chances of history repeating itself.
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Commentary: Time for Washington to self-question its Asia-Pacific policy
BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- In the countdown to a farewell to the White House and prior to perhaps his last visit to Asia as a sitting U.S. president, Barack Obama should reflect upon his policies that failed to contribute to regional peace and stability.
Obama starts a weeklong trip to Vietnam and Japan on Sunday.
Picking Vietnam, a former bitter foe that is now seeking to enhance ties with Washington, and Japan, a traditional ally, as his destinations, Obama aims to consolidate the "Asia-Pacific rebalance" and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) that would cement an economic alliance between the United States and 11 other Pacific-rim countries including Vietnam and Japan.
In Obama's first visit to Vietnam, the South China Sea issue is expected to be one of the topics high on his agenda.
The issue related to the South China Sea, one of the world's most important trade routes, is mainly about maritime territorial disputes between China and some other Asian countries, which should be solved through negotiations under the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
However, tensions in the South China Sea have escalated in recent years as Washington repeatedly sent military aircraft and vessels to the region to carry out missions of what it called "freedom of navigation," and held joint military exercises with some claimants.
The U.S. behavior has made some countries more assertive and fueled their delusions to continue to exploit illegal interests on South China Sea islands and reefs.
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