South China Sea and China (2011-2017)

[carl]

Here is a link to a Naval Institute blog that comments on the words of Captain James Fanell, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence and Information Operations for US Pacific Fleet at a panel last week.

http://blog.usni.org/2013/02/06/hone...-uncomfortable

And here are some select quotes from Capt. Fanell.

(China’s) expansion into the blue waters are largely about countering the US Pacific fleet.’
* The PLA Navy is going to sea to learn how to do naval warfare…Make no mistake: the PRC navy is focused on war at sea, and sinking an opposing fleet.’
* On China Marine Surveillance, which supervises and patrols China’s claimed maritime territory: ‘If you map out their harassments you will see that they form a curved front that has over time expanded out against the coast of China’s neighbours, becoming the infamous nine-dashed line, plus the entire East China Sea…China is negotiating for control of other nations’ resources off their coasts; what’s mine is mine, and we’ll negotiate what’s yours.’
* China Marine Surveillance cutters have no other mission but to harass other nations into submitting to China’s expansive claims…China Marine Surveillance is a full-time maritime sovereignty harassment organisation’.
* In my opinion, China is knowingly, operationally and incrementally seizing maritime rights of its neighbours under the rubric of a maritime history that is not only contested in the international community but has largely been fabricated by Chinese government propaganda bureaus in order to “educate” the populous about China’s rich maritime history, clearly as a tool to sustain the Party’s control.

There is a link on the blog entry to video of the panel discussion during which Capt Fanell made his remarks.