China accuses Australia of deliberate provocation in South China Sea

China accuses Australia of deliberate provocation in South China Sea

Transiting international airspace is not provocation. Australia's actions are 100% legal.

"Australia deliberately infringed upon China's rights in the South China Sea and provoked China

CCP lies, like always.

He urged Australia to restrain its frontline naval and air forces, instead of "stirring up trouble" in the South China Sea

It is China that is stirring up trouble, illegally occupying and militarizing the South China Sea in direct contravention of UNCLOS, releasing dangerous flares, shining military grade lasers at pilots, and ramming and water cannoning lawfully-operating ships.

China rejects a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that its sweeping claims were not supported by international law.

China has ratified, and is bound by, UNCLOS.

It rejects the ruling because it is an aggressive, revisionist dictatorship that does not respect international law.

China feel strong now they know that the US will not protect an aggressed country. Thank you trump!

Do you feel great now?

What is Australia doing with it's tiny naval force up in the South China Sea?

Does Australia really have a dog in this fight? I don't think so. Keep patrolling the Coral, Timor and Arafura sea, but I can't think of any good reason why Australian military hardware needs to be in the South China Sea.

TamaramaToday 05:38 pm JST

What is Australia doing with it's tiny naval force up in the South China Sea?

Lawfully transiting international air and maritime space.

What is China doing with its illegal bases and aggressive acts in the South China Sea?

China rocks generate no baseline and there has never been an ADIZ declared let alone disrespected (which it should be).

The Chinese COMMUNIST PARTY throwing yet another tantrum because someone dared to operate in international waters without bowing to their delusional claims of ownership. Australia WAS following international law - something the CCP wouldn’t recognize if it smacked them in the face - while China continues its usual routine of bullying, gaslighting, and rewriting history. According to these idiots, Australia and other countries "provoking" them by simply existing outside of China’s propaganda bubble.

Why hasn't Canberra objected to Taiwan province's 11 dash line? They had decades and decades to do so but it must have slipped their mind.

(oh, the article conveniently omits their role. Wouldn't be because they support Beijing on this matter and also consider the hallowed "ruling" illegitimate... surely not)

Nor does it mention exactly where this incident took place, so the overall context can't be considered. How convenient.

Australia using Defence forces , air and sea , to "patrol " international waters .

Hmm...these are NOT commercial shipping or airlines are they ?

And where is Australia ?

Southern Hemisphere ....a long way from China.

Australia doing US bidding in this I feel, in the same way the US arranged "the coalition of the willing " to invade Iraq.

GuruMickToday 06:10 pm JST

Australia using Defence forces , air and sea , to "patrol " international waters .

Hmm...these are NOT commercial shipping or airlines are they ?

Ships can go wherever they want in international waters but not if they let China start making their own rules.

I would love to see US and Aust. Defence info. exchanges...we never will....but I wager the US is directing our Naval activity in areas around China.

Taiwan....do we see many China Naval vessels in "international waters " in areas where the USA claims an interest, like surrounding Latin America ?

No we don't.

Lawfully transiting international air and maritime space.

What is China doing with its illegal bases and aggressive acts in the South China Sea?

Oh sure, to the letter of the law, Australia probably has a right to be there. But do they need to be there?

I'd say no.

What are China doing in the South China Sea??? Well, it is the South China Sea, isn't it. It's not, say, the Gulf of Mexico for example.

But if they are being military 'aggressive' though, I'm sure they are learning from the best, Isabelle. If you get my drift...

TamaramaToday 06:19 pm JST

What are China doing in the South China Sea??? Well, it is the South China Sea, isn't it. It's not, say, the Gulf of Mexico for example.

The question is not what Chinese merchant ships are doing in the SCS, it is what their obscene "coast guard" ships are doing ramming other ships and injuring crew members.

GuruMickToday 06:18 pm JST

Taiwan....do we see many China Naval vessels in "international waters " in areas where the USA claims an interest, like surrounding Latin America ?

No we don't.

Just because China agression is focused close to home doesn't make it excusable.

GuruMickToday 06:18 pm JST

Taiwan....do we see many China Naval vessels in "international waters " in areas where the USA claims an interest, like surrounding Latin America ?

And we do see China spy bases in Cuba.

World's order fraying, as Trump's definitely not interested in WWIII over territorial matters, so Ukraine, Taiwan etc. will just have to fend for themselves, good luck with that...

HopeSpringsEternalToday 06:24 pm JST

World's order fraying, as Trump's definitely not interested in WWIII over territorial matters, so Ukraine, Taiwan etc. will just have to fend for themselves, good luck with that...

It didn't have to be WW3 to remove the pariah states. He just had to show the tiniest amount of backbone...

Nah, no sense playing around with nuclear powers, risk: reward not justifiable. Taiwan better cut a deal ASAP, should have done so years ago, now they're screwed.

Taiwan....do we see many China Naval vessels in "international waters " in areas where the USA claims an interest, like surrounding Latin America ?

No we don't.

"Aussie" Mick bending over backwards to defend the CCP - how disappointingly unsurprising. Maybe brush up on reality before parroting Beijing's talking points there old son. The Chinese Navy is ALL OVER Latin America, from setting up military-linked space stations in Argentina to swarming Ecuador's waters with illegal fishing fleets. Stop pretending China is some innocent bystander while it militarizes the South China Sea and throws a hissy fit whenever anyone dares to challenge its sick expansionist fantasies.

Australia doing US bidding in this I feel, in the same way the US arranged "the coalition of the willing " to invade Iraq.

Exactly mate, this is the salient point. Australia, which is a military minnow, has no business running 'reconnaissance' in the South China Sea. No business whatsoever.

It's stupid.

It's a fine line, maintaining normal navigation of the seas without provoking. Real point is no country should be willing to risk nuclear war over minor territorial matters.

Trumps made his position clear as a true fiduciary, not a war monger globalist willing to gamble willy nilly with WWIII

Can't China get around this tricky legal conundrum by dusting off their usual M.O. and claiming that Australia is part of China?

What is China doing with its illegal bases and aggressive acts in the South China Sea?

Says the citizen of a country who has a long track record of spinning false narratives, starting from Vietnam (just to stay in the area) to Iraq War, Syria's conflict, we could go on backwards for decades if not centuries. 

Totally stand by China on this news story: let’s not forget that the US has almost 800 overseas military bases including in Guam, Diego Garcia, ROK and Japan that ring China. The US fleet, with Australian, Japanese and South Korean support, regularly patrols off the China coast.

That America holding war games in those waters halfway around the world from it is miraculously not threatening, but China holding war games practically in sight of Chinese territory is seems rather an illogical proposition.

Let’s not forget that in Vietnam the US lied about the Gulf of Tonkin incident to drag the nation into a needless conflict (1964). A good catch up for our readers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Tonkin_incident

And now they are falsely manipulating the stories with the help of poor Filipinos fishermen, inciting anti-China sentiments by any means.

As an aside, if this was reduced to a domestic matter, and domestic law, Australia could be accused of stalking.

JJEToday 06:08 pm JST

Taiwan province

Yawn.

11 dash line

But... how could a "province" have an 11 dash line...? Isn't that what a "country" would have?

You haven't thought this one through, have you?

TamaramaToday 06:19 pm JST

Oh sure, to the letter of the law, Australia probably has a right to be there. But do they need to be there?

They may well have a good reason.

Whether they do or not (and I believe they do), they don't need to explain themselves to China to legally transit international waters, and they certainly shouldn't be harassed for doing so.

It is China that is in the wrong here, not Australia.

What are China doing in the South China Sea??? Well, it is the South China Sea, isn't it.

It doesn't matter what it's called: the name doesn't give China the right to build illegal military bases, or harass others in international waters/airspace.

Japan doesn't own the Sea of Japan, Mexico doesn't own the Gulf of Mexico, England doesn't own the English Channel, etc.

GuruMickToday 06:10 pm JST

Australia using Defence forces , air and sea , to "patrol " international waters .

In full compliance with international law.

Contrast that to China's illegal bases and aggression.

Hmm...these are NOT commercial shipping or airlines are they ?

They don't need to be. They are operating lawfully whatever they are.

FosToday 07:04 pm JST

let’s not forget that the US has almost 800 overseas military bases

Yawn.

China has no shame!!

China illegally occupies areas in the South China Seas and no other country in the region recognizes internationally that it is Chinese territory.

China is the one "breaking into the homes of others" Mr Zhang!!

Change the name to South ASIAN Sea.

Leave the name "china" out. That part of the sea doesn't belong to china but to the rest of Asia.

JJEToday  06:08 pm JST

Why hasn't Canberra objected to Taiwan province's 11 dash line? They had decades and decades to do so but it must have slipped their mind.

Taiwan doesn't provoke aircraft and vessels engaged in free passage. Nor are they building military bases in the SCS. That's because they don't have aspirations of territorial expansion and region dominance.

China has a history of aggressive behavior and causing accidents.

If things go south, et's see how quick Australian ships can reach China's backyard.