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The alleged on-going land reclamation of China at Subi reef
is seen from Pagasa island (Thitu Island) in the Spratlys group of islands in
the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, May 11, 2015.
REUTERS/RITCHIE B. TONGO/POOL/FILE PHOTO |
China should prepare itself for military confrontation in
the South China Sea, an influential Chinese paper said on Tuesday, a week ahead
of a decision by an international court on a dispute there between China and
the Philippines.
Tensions have been rising ahead of a July 12 ruling by an
arbitration court hearing the argument between China and the Philippines over
the South China Sea in the Dutch city of The Hague.
In joint editorials in its Chinese and English editions, the
state-run Global Times said the dispute, having already been complicated by U.S.
intervention, now faces further escalation due to the threat posed by the
tribunal to China's sovereignty.
"Washington has deployed two carrier battle groups
around the South China Sea, and it wants to send a signal by flexing its
muscles: As the biggest powerhouse in the region, it awaits China's
obedience," it said.
China should speed up developing its military deterrence
abilities, the paper added.
"Even though China cannot keep up with the U.S.
militarily in the short-term, it should be able to let the U.S. pay a cost it
cannot stand if it intervenes in the South China Sea dispute by force," it
said.
"China hopes disputes can be resolved by talks, but it
must be prepared for any military confrontation. This is common sense in
international relations."
The newspaper is published by the ruling Communist Party's
official People's Daily, and while it is widely read in policy-making circles
it does not have the same mouthpiece function as its parent and its editorials
cannot be viewed as representing government policy.
It is also well-known for its extreme nationalist views.
China, which has been angered by U.S. patrols in the South
China Sea, will be holding military drills in the waters there starting from
Wednesday.
China's Defence Ministry said the drills are routine, the
official China Daily reported.
Manila has sought to dial down tensions with its powerful
neighbor ahead of the decision but resisted pressure to ignore the ruling.
"The reality is that nobody wants a conflict, nobody
wants to resolve our conflict in a violent manner, nobody wants war,”
Philippines Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay, told ANC television on Tuesday.
"It is my understanding that the President would like to
maintain stronger, better relationships with everybody, including China,
including the United States, including Japan and all," Yasay said, adding
that a "special envoy" was needed to help resolve the dispute.
U.S. officials have expressed concern that the Hague court
ruling could prompt Beijing to declare an air defense identification zone, or
ADIZ, as it did over the East China Sea in 2013, or step up the pace of
reclamation and construction on its holdings in the disputed region.
What response China takes will "fully depend" on
the Philippines, the China Daily added, citing unidentified sources.
"There will be no incident at all if all related
parties put aside the arbitration results," one of the sources told the
English-language publication.
"China has never taken a lead in ... stirring up
regional tension," another of the sources added.
About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year
though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China's
territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia,
Brunei and Taiwan.
-Reuters
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