China wants joint naval drills in South China Sea with Southeast Asia

With tensions escalating over the SCS this year China has invited the defence ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in which most of stakeholders of the SCS dispute are members. The joint naval drills would involve topics like accidental meetings, search and rescue, and how to strike a peacemaking attitude over a progressively edgier quarrel.

In addition to China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan claim sovereignty of parts of South China Sea.

To destabilize the region and contain China, the United States has deliberately involved non-party nations, such as Japan, in the South China Sea issue and stirred disputes between China and other parties, including the Philippines. Mainly, China wants to create a situation that will help to keep relations in the area more stable, according to Chang.

China stepped up the creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea previous year, drawing strong criticism from Washington.

The U.S. Navy hasn’t steamed or flown within 12 nautical miles of the islands since 2012, which is before China’s island construction project began in earnest, the assistant Defense secretary for Asia-Pacific security told lawmakers in September.

The Chinese newspaper, Global Times, has released a critical statement against the presence of the U.S. Navy in the disputed areas of the South China Sea.

Amid mounting tensions over China’s building of islands in the South China Sea, a senior Chinese military official said Saturday that the country will not “recklessly” use force in the region. But they warned that they will continue to support freedom of navigation and send ships and planes through what they regard as internationals water in the region.

On Thursday, Chinese media slammed the US for its “ceaseless provocations”.

China’s military, especially its navy, is gathering formidable capabilities, fueled by large annual increases in the military budget, which is now the world’s largest behind the U.S.

Fan cited the recent launch of operations by two new lighthouses on Chinese island holdings as evidence of good intentions and said Beijing was committed to resolving disputes peacefully.

“China imports 5.5 million barrels of waterborne oil per day, the vast majority through the South China Sea”, Smith said.

“I do not see an influx of tourists clamouring to visit these remote islands”, he said.

Trade Minister Andrew Robb announced that Australia would take no part in the US patrols, although Foreign Minister Julie Bishop later said that Australia is “on the same page” with the United States regarding the South China Sea.

The Chinese Defense Ministry is hosting an informal meeting between Chinese and ASEAN defense ministers from October 15-16 in Beijing, in order to boost trust and cooperation in the defense field.

China is adding new ships and submarines at a rapid pace, and its first aircraft carrier will soon become operational. In May, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said China has placed self-propelled artillery on at least one territory.

Bloomberg’s editorial board this week counseled that island reclamation in and of itself is not illegal, and that nations like Vietnam have done the same in the past, though not at the scale and speed of China.