Chinese Navy Conducts Live-Fire Drills in the South China Sea

China recently staged a live-fire exercise involving naval ships, jets, and other military assets in the South China Sea, a move one can only presume is aimed at showcasing China’s military strength and commitment to retaining a presence in the Pacific despite international calls to demilitarize the region.

China, which recently claimed large portions of the South China Sea in the last few years, has sought to project its growing military power in order to demonstrate its capabilities. While typically not thought of as aggressive, China has been testing the waters and resolve of regional powers by building artificial islands, sailing into disputed zones, and so forth.

China has had been involved in incidents with not just Taiwan, but also Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, signalling that this is the beginning of China’s transcendence as a regional power broker.

These exercises, ironically, are taking place before a Hague-based arbitration case on Tuesday, in regards to the Philippines challenging China’s claim to most of the South China Sea. China has said that the arbitration is baseless and that whatever the verdict, the PRC will not comply.

Chinese television gave viewers a glimpse of the action, showing rocket barrages, fighter jets conducting maneuvers, and submarines surfacing above the water. CCTV, one of China’s leading news organizations, has said that these military drills are to test the readiness of the navy.

Vietnam, in response to these military drills, expressed anger, saying that the Chinese are undermining the security and safety of the region. Considering China claims the Paracel islands, an island Vietnam has previously claimed ownership of in the past, it is no surprise that Vietnam is angered at such actions. Other areas, like the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoals, are also claimed by China.

The international community, especially the United States, sees these military moves as highly provocative and irresponsible. While verbal condemnations are often directed at China, there doesn’t appear to be any willingness to take action in the near future in order to prevent them from repeating these same violations.

In terms of risks and outcomes, China maintains the upper hand in these disputes. Not only is it the dominant power in the region, but it is highly unlikely that a country like Japan or the United States will engage in military action with China over a handful of islands. If the United States were to take action on behalf of its allies in the region, for example, it would severely damage the world economy and create even greater problems than before. Realistically, the status quo is likely to remain and unless China starts undermining United States interests in the region, it is unlikely that anything will be done to stymie their attempts at consolidating natural resources or islands in the South China Sea.

Featured Image via Wikimedia