A senior US military commander said on Tuesday: China’s actions in the South China Sea are an example of its attempt to gain territory by force, and that it destabilizes the region.
Naval skirmishes took place between the Philippines and China, including the use of water cannons and heated verbal clashes that raised fears of escalation at sea.
Admiral John Aquilino, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said in a speech to the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney that China’s actions against the Philippines, especially on Second Thomas Shoal, are “dangerous, illegal, and destabilizing the region.”
Aquilino expressed his feeling “deeply concerned about what is happening at Second Thomas Shoal,” where a development between the Chinese Coast Guard and a fishing vessel led to the injury of six sailors.
He asked, “What is the next step and to what extent are they prepared to advance in this region?”
He stated that similar actions by China are also observed in other places in the region, including Japan and Malaysia.
He added, “This is not a separate matter. It is related to the People’s Republic of China’s attempt to gain land by force unilaterally.”
China says that almost the entire South China Sea is part of its territory, and is guarded by a fleet of Coast Guard ships more than a thousand kilometers from its mainland, and asserts that its response to the Philippine encroachment is appropriate.