China’s Naval Dragons Go Off Leash?

[Valin]

Via Meadia:

3/27/13

 

China is making waves again, this time by allegedly firing on a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea. Reuters reports:

 

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As we’ve noted before, the hydrocarbon-rich South China Sea has plenty of countries lined up to stake their claims. This incident occurred near the Paracel islands, claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam and China. These islands don’t have any hydrocarbon reserves of their own, but that hasn’t stopped China from antagonizing the various claimants in the past.

 

We’ve seen signs of moderation coming from Xi Jinping, but if the facts of this provocation of Vietnam check out, it might suggest the changes were more cosmetic than substantive. Is maritime bullying going to be a Xi mainstay, or is this just a twitchy reflex from a Chinese bureaucracy that just hasn’t gotten Xi’s memo yet?

 

 

See Chinese navy makes presence felt at disputed shoal

3/27/13

 

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A Chinese amphibious task force conducted patrol and training missions at a shoal 50 miles from Malaysia’s coast Monday, furthering its assertive claims to nearly all territory in an area that most of the world considers international waters.

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And

 

Game of Thrones: Jets & Subs

3/27/13

 

China has agreed to buy 24 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and four Lada-class submarines from Russia, state media reported yesterday. This is China’s biggest arms purchase in a decade and a signal to neighboring countries that the People’s Liberation Army means business.

 

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