BBC reported China has continued to expand its influence in the region for nearly a decade, especially in the South China Sea through the deployment of military forces, warships and other equipment.
China has dredged a number of small islands into a large artificial island, including the Spratly and Paracel Islands, equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. In addition to deploying warships, submarines and other equipment, China has also equipped the artificial island with advanced technology and built an airport.
US geopolitical expert in Australia said China’s move is a strategy to expand its influence in the region or to seize most of the territory in the South China Sea, regardless of the protests of some countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan. These countries and territories have strongly protested diplomacy over China’s expansion of influence in the South China Sea, but Chinese leaders appear to be ignoring the protests, continuing their ideological strategy.
On Sunday, March 21, Philippine Foreign Minister Delfin Lorenzana said that more than 200 Chinese warships had docked and anchored near a reef in Philippines economic zone, an invasion and encroachment on Philippine waters. He also demanded that Chinese warships withdraw from Philippine waters immediately and if not, Philippines will have a reasonable response. China had not responded until Monday, March 22, with more than 200 warships still stationed in the Whitsun Reef about 320 kilometers from Palawan island (Philippines).
The root of the matter
Harry Harris, a former U.S. military commander in the Asia-Pacific region, said the main reason for China military expansion in the South China Sea because it’s importance to China. China can not control the world like the United States, but it is also the world’s second largest economy and occupies the whole of Asia through the expansion of military and economic power.
As a superpower, even if it did not conquer the whole world, China had to seize its territory and first control the South China Sea, with more than $ 500,000 billion in trade.
In 2016, China overturned an international arbitral tribunal ruling Philippines as the winner of a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. In addition, China has also dispatched hundreds of warships to the Philippines waters, which shows that China is not afraid of the international community.
