South China/West Philippine Sea

[maxiev]

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/12/21/china-vs-japan-will-boeings-new-submarine-destroyi.aspx#.UraZWcLxtlB

 

China vs. Japan: Will Boeing's New Submarine-Destroying Jet Get Battle Tested?

 

Japan and China are anything but friendly, but tensions escalated further following China's recent declaration of a maritime air defense zone over the East China Sea. This move also increased tensions between China and the U.S., and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the U.S. military wont adhere to the guidelines of the Chinese-described air-defense zone.

 

While this situation isn't the best news, it has provided Boeing with the opportunity to show off its new submarine-hunting P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Here's what you need to know.

 

Poseidon takes on the East Seas

Back in January, Boeing delivered the last of its low-rate initial production P-8As to the Navy. Consequently, the Navy's recent deployment of the P-8As to Japan is the first deployment for this aircraft. Moreover, while this deployment is part of a scheduled deployment and isn't the result of escalating tension in that region, it gives the P-8A a chance to prove itself. Capt. Mike Parker, commander, Task Force 72, told DoD Buzz: "We will demonstrate the ability of the P-8A to operate effectively alongside P-3C during high-tempo deployed operations. I also look forward to the P-8A integrating seamlessly with our international partners and allies -- our interoperability will only get better with Poseidon."

 

According to Boeing, the P-8A is a next-generation, "long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime, and littoral operations." More importantly, the P-8A has next-gen sensors, which will help improve intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and help actively mitigate the growing threat of next-gen submarines.

 

According to DoD Buzz, Rear Adm. Matt Carter, commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, said: "The number of submarines in the world is increasing rapidly. Other countries are either building or purchasing advanced, quiet, and extremely hard to find submarines, and we need to be able to match that technology to be able to detect them."

 

Accordingly, if the P-8A proves itself capable of handling this growing threat, Boeing could expect additional orders from America's allies. This would be great news for Boeing, as well as Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC ) , which provides the directional infrared countermeasures system and the electronic support measures system, Raytheon (NYSE: RTN ) , which provides the upgraded AN/APY-10 maritime surveillance radar and signals intelligence solutions, and General Electric's Aviation, which supplies flight-management and stores-management systems.

 

What to watch

Right now, the Navy plans on purchasing 117 P-8As to replace the P-C3, and India placed an order for eight P-8Is, a derivative of the P-8A designed specifically for the Indian navy. Both of these orders are worth a significant amount of money, but it's only the beginning of what Boeing could expect if the P-8A does well in the East Seas. Further, while the escalating tension between Japan and China isn't great, it does give Boeing a chance to demonstrate the ability of the P-8A. Considering the P-8A is already worth billions for Boeing, anything that showcases its ability, and results in orders, is great news for the company.

[sonnyt111]

Seems the defense departments of many nations in Northeast and Southeast Asia as well as India are the biggest beneficiaries because of China's military threat. Governments of these nations have beefed up their militaries in response to Chinese aggression. The Philippine armed forces is included in the list of nations upgrading their military capabilities.

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

Seems the defense departments of many nations in Northeast and Southeast Asia as well as India are the biggest beneficiaries because of China's military threat. Governments of these nations have beefed up their militaries in response to Chinese aggression. The Philippine armed forces is included in the list of nations upgrading their military capabilities.

All these spending on military upgrades by these nations will hopefully make the Chinese less belligerent in their territorial claims. We need to band together with these nations in a united front against the Chinese. Of course, American support for all these nations will also hopefully further put pressure on China to tone down their rhetoric.

[maxiev]

All these spending on military upgrades by these nations will hopefully make the Chinese less belligerent in their territorial claims. We need to band together with these nations in a united front against the Chinese. Of course, American support for all these nations will also hopefully further put pressure on China to tone down their rhetoric.

Right now I'm more concerned about the sabre rattling or North Korea. The fact that it possesses nuclear weapons is a very scary thought. Kim Jong On is becoming more irrational by the day and seems to be preparing his country for war against South Korea and the United States.

[sonnyt111]

Right now I'm more concerned about the sabre rattling or North Korea. The fact that it possesses nuclear weapons is a very scary thought. Kim Jong On is becoming more irrational by the day and seems to be preparing his country for war against South Korea and the United States.

It would be interesting to hear a psychologist's view of the mindset of Kim Jong On. What makes him tick? If his country didn't have any weapons of mass destruction, then there wouldn't really be a problem since a conventional war will be easily won by the combined resources of South Korea and the United States.

 

It's as if the Sword of Damocles is hanging precariously over South Korea at this time. Will South Korea take preemptive action against the North or wait for the North to make the first move? If they wait for the North to make its move it may be too late for South Korea if the North uses nuclear weapons.

 

Then all hell will break lose starting in north east Asia then probably spreading towards China and eventually the rest of Asia, the Philippines included. Since the USA and Japan are also involved, financial markets all over the world will come crashing down.

 

All this turmoil because of the megalomania of one man. Someone better assassinate him for the sake of world peace.

 

 

 

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-japan-tensions-smartest-approach-070341427.html

Wonder why the Japanese Prime Minister would visit a shrine of war time criminals....

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

An interesting article detailing the worst case scenario in a theoretical war between the USA and China.

 

http://theweek.com/article/index/254400/what-would-a-us-china-war-look-like

 

What would a U.S.-China war look like?

 

Imagine this: In the early morning, a barrage of more than 1,000 Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles bombard Taiwanese civilian and military targets.

 

As the U.S. Air Force stationed in Okinawa prepares to rush to the aid of its sworn ally, Chinese cyber attacks wreak havoc on America's air defense and targeting systems. A second volley of ballistic missiles detonates in space, destroying critical military satellites, while a third rains down on the base, damaging jets and leaving runways unusable.

 

Meanwhile, a U.S. carrier strike group led by the USS George Washington has launched from Japan and is steaming towards the Taiwan Strait. Without the advanced warning and additional data supplied by satellites, the group's missile defense systems are at a disadvantage against the Chinese "carrier killer" missiles that are streaking towards them. Defense systems do their best, but a few missiles still hit their mark, leaving the USS George Washington's flight deck unusable. America's awesome air and sea power has been sidelined.

 

While far from a complete picture, this hypothetical scenario is the U.S. military's worst nightmare. Now, of course, despite recent shows of force over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and the occasional blustery threat to Taiwan, war will almost certainly not break out between the U.S. and China. But it is this scenario's potential to be realized that helps keep war at bay.

 

To be clear: The United States military remains the world's most fearsome fighting force, unbeatable on a one-on-one basis. Yet it would find a protracted war that could end in nuclear Armageddon too costly. China is keenly aware of that fact. So rather than orienting itself towards a total war it cannot win, China's military strategy serves a smaller, but shrewder purpose — pushing the United States out of China's backyard.

 

Reclaiming Chinese pride

 

Provocations over Taiwan and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands are not about the land itself per se, but rather a matter of national pride. Still fuming over its embarrassment in the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, when President Bill Clinton made an overwhelming display of American power with the deployment of two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region, the Chinese government has sought to showcase its growing stature by taking control of the Pacific, a region long dominated by the U.S. Navy.

 

China's actions, especially of late, are a strong message to the United States that it wants to usurp America as the regional power, Hugh White, a professor of strategic studies at Australian National University, told Bloomberg. "They're saying to America that we're so serious about this that we're prepared to take the risks of being provocative, in order to persuade you to take seriously that we want to change the order."

 

To back up their actions, Chinese strategists have developed a large arsenal of conventional asymmetric weapon systems specifically designed to blunt American might, in effect creating a powerful deterrent that is forcing the U.S. military to walk softly in a region it once ruled supreme.

 

A2/AD

 

Aimed at preventing American forces from using their technological superiority to strike the heart of China, the Chinese military has pursued an anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy. At its most basic, A2/AD is a layered defense strategy that incorporates land, sea, air, cyber, and space attacks to counter America's military advantages.

 

Rather than forcing an outright defeat, the strategy utilizes repeated waves of assaults using cyber attacks, anti-satellite weapons, ballistic missiles, stealth submarines, and other weapons to slow U.S. forces as they draw nearer the Chinese coast.

 

In a successful scenario, each successive wave of attacks would whittle down a superior force's advantage so by the time they reach their goal they have suffered too many casualties or are too spent to launch a significant offensive.

 

A key element of China's defenses is its growing stockpile of ballistic and cruise missiles that have enough range to blanket much of Asia. Most troubling is its DF-21D "carrier killer" missile, which has an estimated range of 2,700 km and is specially designed to target the U.S. military's greatest form of force projection — the aircraft carrier.

 

Additionally, China possesses a growing number of war planes, and is notably developing the fifth-generation J-20 and J-31 stealth fighter jets. At the same time, China has procured at least 12 stealthy diesel-electric Kilo-class subs from Russia, while the U.S. military has shifted its focus away from Cold War skills, like submarine hunting.

 

Countering A2/AD

 

In the theoretical war against China, the arms race is already on. As China develops asymmetrical weapons to minimize American advantages, the Pentagon is also at work on technologies to overcome those counter-technologies.

 

"Part of what keeps the probability of war so small is that the U.S. and Taiwan have taken steps to make sure it would be painful for China," David Shlapak, a senior international policy analyst at the Rand Corporation, told Popular Mechanics in 2010.

 

In reality, many of the weapons systems under development will never see actual combat, but the hypothetical arms race is critical as researchers on both sides seek to tip the scales in their favor and change the calculus for military strategists.

 

According to Admiral Patrick Walsh, the commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet until last year, there is no reason to fear China's military buildup as long as U.S. capabilities keep pace.

 

"When we look at these sorts of developments, such as the ASBM [anti-ship ballistic missile], they are technological developments that we respect, but do not necessarily fear," Admiral Walsh told Popular Mechanics. "The key element in any sort of deterrent strategy is to make it clear to those who would use a given piece of technology that we have the means to counter it, and to maintain a technological edge."

 

Even with the U.S. military's technological advantages, China's explosive military growth has guaranteed that even a small conflict with the United States would prove deadlier than anything the nation has witnessed in decades — which is exactly why it won't happen.

 

 

 

 

 

[Larry]

An interesting article detailing the worst case scenario in a theoretical war between the USA and China.

 

http://theweek.com/article/index/254400/what-would-a-us-china-war-look-like

 

What would a U.S.-China war look like?

 

Imagine this: In the early morning, a barrage of more than 1,000 Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles bombard Taiwanese civilian and military targets.

 

As the U.S. Air Force stationed in Okinawa prepares to rush to the aid of its sworn ally, Chinese cyber attacks wreak havoc on America's air defense and targeting systems. A second volley of ballistic missiles detonates in space, destroying critical military satellites, while a third rains down on the base, damaging jets and leaving runways unusable.

 

Meanwhile, a U.S. carrier strike group led by the USS George Washington has launched from Japan and is steaming towards the Taiwan Strait. Without the advanced warning and additional data supplied by satellites, the group's missile defense systems are at a disadvantage against the Chinese "carrier killer" missiles that are streaking towards them. Defense systems do their best, but a few missiles still hit their mark, leaving the USS George Washington's flight deck unusable. America's awesome air and sea power has been sidelined.

 

this is a very short sighted scenario, I seriously doubt this is how it will play out.

 

for one the US will adopt a defensive posture after the theoretical attack on Taiwan, simultaneously trying to defuse the situation diplomatically while already lining up their pieces against China. this includes the mobilization of another Carrier group out of the mediterranean and re-aligning forces based in Afghanistan. SF troops would have already begun incursions into China at this point, creating beach heads and doing recon on Chinese military installations.

 

and I seriously doubt that the attack on Taiwan will happen without the US knowing of it beforehand.

[maxiev]

this is a very short sighted scenario, I seriously doubt this is how it will play out.

 

for one the US will adopt a defensive posture after the theoretical attack on Taiwan, simultaneously trying to defuse the situation diplomatically while already lining up their pieces against China. this includes the mobilization of another Carrier group out of the mediterranean and re-aligning forces based in Afghanistan. SF troops would have already begun incursions into China at this point, creating beach heads and doing recon on Chinese military installations.

 

and I seriously doubt that the attack on Taiwan will happen without the US knowing of it beforehand.

Yeah I think it's a very simplistic analysis. But it would be a good plot for a movie.

[dos8dos]

the US govt operate & maintain an electronic eye in a peak in the western region taiwan to monitor red chinas military movements

 

its similar to the electronic eye israel operate in the golan heights against the syrians

 

expect a skirmish first before the unthinkable all-out-war would actually happen

Edited January 6, 2014 by dos8dos

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

the US govt operate & maintain an electronic eye in a peak in the western region taiwan to monitor red chinas military movements

 

its similar to the electronic eye israel operate in the golan heights against the syrians

 

expect a skirmish first before the unthinkable all-out-war would actually happen

Bro I'm not familiar with what an electronic eye is. What does it do? And how does it work? Tried researching about it on google but the electronic eye that was featured in google was about commercial security systems for companies and businesses.

 

Obviously the electronic eye you are referring to has military applications.

 

 

 

[dos8dos]

Bro I'm not familiar with what an electronic eye is. What does it do? And how does it work? Tried researching about it on google but the electronic eye that was featured in google was about commercial security systems for companies and businesses.

 

Obviously the electronic eye you are referring to has military applications.

 

a secure facility for monitoring electronic communications..so the americans will know where the first shot will originate from with minimal delay unlike with satellite which is plagued with delays

[Bugatti Veyron]

Right now I'm more concerned about the sabre rattling or North Korea. The fact that it possesses nuclear weapons is a very scary thought. Kim Jong On is becoming more irrational by the day and seems to be preparing his country for war against South Korea and the United States.

Kim Jong On's sabre rattling has toned down a bit in recent days. I hope it remains this way indefinitely.

[maxiev]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/09/us-philippines-china-idUSBREA080BF20140109?feedType=RSS

 

Manila seeks clarification on Chinese fishing rules in South China Sea

 

 

Reuters

By Manuel Mogato and Sui-Lee Wee

6 hours ago

 

 

MANILA/BEIJING (Reuters) - The Philippines said it was seeking clarification of rules from China's Hainan province that say fishing boats need permission to enter waters under its jurisdiction, which the local government says covers much of the disputed South China Sea.

 

Such a move, if broadly enforced, could worsen tensions in the region. Beijing claims almost the entire oil- and gas-rich South China Sea, rejecting rival claims to parts of it from the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam.

 

The fishing rules follow China's creation of a controversial air defense identification zone in late November above the East China Sea in an area that includes islands at the heart of a bitter territorial row with Japan.

 

Hainan's legislature approved the rules in November and they took effect on January 1, according to the website of the local government.

 

It says foreign fishing vessels need approval to enter from the "relevant and responsible department" of the Chinese government's cabinet.

 

Philippine Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Raul Hernandez said Manila had asked its embassy in Beijing to get more information on the rules.

 

Hainan, which juts into the South China Sea from the country's southern tip, says it governs 2 million square kilometers of water, according to local government data issued in 2011. The South China Sea is an estimated 3.5 million square km in size.

 

The Hainan rules do not outline penalties, but the requirements are similar to a 2004 national law, which says boats entering Chinese territory without permission can have their catch and fishing equipment seized and face fines of up to 500,000 yuan ($82,600).

 

Hainan officials were not immediately available to comment but Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said regulating the use of China's marine resources was a normal practice.

 

"The goal is to strengthen the security of fisheries resources and to openly and reasonably utilize and protect fisheries resources," Hua said at a regular news briefing when asked about the rules.

 

CHINA'S TIES WITH MANILA STRAINED

 

A senior Philippine naval official said the rules were a violation of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adding China was unable to enforce such measures outside its territorial waters and its 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

 

"This is excessive ... I don't know how this will be implemented but it will be effective only within the 200-mile (EEZ) from Hainan province," said the officer, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.

 

Peter Paul Galvez, a Philippine defense department spokesman, said authorities were ready to enforce fishing rules in the Philippines own EEZ, which include regulations on the type of fish that can be caught.

 

Chinese enforcement could depend on the nationality of the fishermen, said Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at Renmin University in Beijing.

 

"I think Hainan put it out to tell relevant countries we have such a regulation, but how we practice it depends on how bilateral relations are," Shi said.

 

"If ties are good, the regulation may be loose. If not, we will practice it strictly, which means that you have to get approval from us before entering."

 

China's ties with Manila have been especially frosty over the South China Sea.

 

Separately, Japan is set to clarify the ownership of 280 remote islands within its territorial waters and register them as national assets, a move that could rile China.

 

($1=6.05 yuan)

 

(Additional reporting by Huang Yan and Megha Rajagopalan in BEIJING; writing by Dean Yates; editing by Neil Fullick.)

Edited January 9, 2014 by maxiev

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

http://news.yahoo.com/philippines-vietnam-condemn-china-39-fishing-law-103641817.html

 

 

Philippines, Vietnam condemn China's fishing law

http://l.yimg.com/os/152/2012/04/21/image001-png_162613.png By TERESA CEROJANO 17 hours ago 0 shares

 

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines and Vietnam condemned a new Chinese law that requires foreign fishermen to seek Beijing's approval to operate in much of the South China Sea, but China's Foreign Ministry insisted it has the right do so.

Related Stories

• China fires back at U.S. for criticism on fishing curbs Reuters
• Manila seeks clarification on Chinese fishing rules in South China Sea Reuters
• U.S. says China's fishing curbs 'provocative and potentially dangerous' Reuters
• China says opposed to U.S. criticism of fishing rules Reuters
• A Struggle For Influence in Asia MarketWatch

China's assertiveness in pressing its claims in the strategic waters, which are believed to have significant seabed gas and oil deposits, has unnerved its smaller neighbors and created a potential military flash point. Anger is especially acute in the Philippines and Vietnam, which believe they have strong claims on waters off their shores.

 

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Friday that the new Chinese regulation "escalates tensions, unnecessarily complicates the situation in the South China Sea, and threatens the peace and stability of the region."

 

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said the law and other moves by China in recent months are "illegal and invalid" and seriously violate Vietnam's sovereignty.

 

"Vietnam demands that China abolish the above said erroneous acts, and practically contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability in the region," he said.

 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Friday that there was no change to existing regulations but a technical amendment.

 

"There is no need at all to reinforce China's long-standing and clear claim of rights and interests over the South China Sea by passing a local regulation," Hua said.

 

"There is nothing wrong with the law and the regulation," she said. "It is because those who read into the law adopted a wrong mindset."

 

The Philippines said it asked China for clarification. It said the regulation, which took effect this month, reinforces China's expansive territorial claims and violates international law, particularly the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. It also said the rule was contrary to a 2002 declaration that China signed with the 10-member Association of the Southeast Asian Nations, including the Philippines and Vietnam, to refrain from changing the status quo.

 

The Philippines and Vietnam are among the most vocal critics of China's claims over virtually the entire South China Sea, which infringe on their own 200-mile (322-kilometer) exclusive economic zones. China and other claimants have beefed up their navies and stepped up patrols around island groups also claimed by others, increasing the risk of confrontation.

 

The U.S. has also criticized China's move, calling it "provocative and potentially dangerous."

 

But China on Friday asked the United States to stay out, as Beijing prefers negotiations with individual countries. "If the U.S. really wants to safeguard regional peace and stability, it should respect and support relevant countries' efforts to solve problems through direct dialogues and negotiation," Hua said.

 

Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim parts of the South China Sea, which is an important global shipping route.

 

___

 

Associated Press writer Didi Tang in Beijing contributed to this report.