China’s coercive tactics in South China Sea reveal greater insecurities: Report

Tokyo, Sep 5 (IANS) The July 20 clash between China and the Philippines at the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea was not an isolated incident but part of a years-long pattern of confrontation. For almost a decade, China has increasingly relied on force and coercion rather than diplomacy in the South China Sea, targeting Philippine resupply boats with water cannons, ramming vessels near Scarborough Shoal and reportedly using lasers against Vietnamese fishermen, a report has stated.

“In recent years, the South China Sea has become one of the most contested regions in global politics, where minor incidents often have major consequences. What might appear to be routine encounters between coast guards or fishing vessels can quickly escalate into a diplomatic crisis, drawing in presidents, foreign ministers, and international alliances,” a report in ‘Japan Forward’ detailed.

According to the report, the recent confrontation at the Second Thomas Shoal illustrates how seemingly minor incidents can have wider regional consequences, shaping regional unity, testing alliances, and revealing the deeper insecurities underlying China’s assertive approach.

“In the days leading up to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ meeting on July 20, what should have been a routine diplomatic gathering was overshadowed by a dramatic clash at the Second Thomas Shoal. China Coast Guard personnel physically confronted Philippine Navy sailors, and reports claim a baton was used against a Filipino serviceman,” it noted.

The confrontation quickly triggered a war of accusations, with Manila accusing Beijing of aggression and China blaming the Philippines for provoking the incident. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. swiftly summoned the Chinese ambassador and issued a stern reprimand. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was in Manila on a goodwill visit, also acknowledged that bilateral ties had reached a “critical crossroads”, the report mentioned.

“Each incident may seem small, but together they have created a larger problem for Beijing. Instead of strengthening its position, these actions have united Southeast Asian nations against China and handed the United States a diplomatic advantage without Washington needing to act,” it added.

While Wang Yi’s warning that relations had reached a “critical crossroads” was likely genuine, the report said, China repeatedly finds itself at such junctures by choice rather than necessity.

“If Chinese strategists truly believe history favors them in the South China Sea, they should act like it. Great powers secure in their future do not need to prove it every few months with coast guard clashes. The countries that do usually reveal insecurity beneath their loud rhetoric,” it asserted.

–IANS

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