China wants South China Sea

A top Chinese general on Sunday accused the US and Japan of teaming up to stage “provocative actions” against China, as escalating maritime tensions spilled into an Asian regional defence forum.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Wang Guanzhong, deputy chief of the Chinese general staff, lambasted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chuck Hagel, US defence secretary, for telling the forum of Asian defence ministers that China was using intimidation to assert its territorial claims.
“The speeches by Mr Abe and Mr Hagel gave me the impression that they co-ordinated with each other, they supported each other, they encouraged each other and they took the advantage of speaking first ... and staged provocative actions and challenges against China,” said Gen Wang.
Mr Hagel on Saturday said China was undermining​ its claims that the South China Sea was a “sea of peace, friendship and co-operation” by using coercive tactics, adding that the US would “not look the other way when fundamental principles of the international order are being challenged”.

On Friday, Mr Abe said Japan would give more support to southeast Asian nations that are facing Chinese pressure.

In the face of mounting efforts by the US and Japan to shore up or build new security relationships in Asia, Gen Wang said China opposed both the practice of building military alliances and “attempts by any country to dominate regional affairs”. In a jab at Japan’s wartime history, Gen Wang said China would “never allow fascism … to stake a comeback”.
The Shangri-La Dialogue has become one of the key defence events in Asia, particularly as China becomes more willing to voice its views at the forum. Gen Wang said he had not intended to deliver a critical speech, but felt compelled to respond to Mr Hagel whose speech was “full of hegemony”.

During his 6-day visit to China, which concluded today, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak did raise concern about the issue but played down Malaysia's tone by calling a comprehensive dialogue among the countries involved in the dispute.

China has erected an oil rig platform in the Paracel Islands which Vietnam claimed as part of its territories, and naval forces from both countries were already involved in sporadic tussle which saw a Vietnamese patrol bot sank last week. Hanoi accused Beijing of sinking its boat.

Asean must combine its diplomatic effort to halt China's territorial expansion in the South China Sea which is rich with natural resources like petroleum and natural gas.

However, we must not resort to any confrontational with China as the issue can always be resolved by diplomatic means, unless China really wants to become another imperial and colonial power in Asia.