US-China Conflict Spreading to the South China Sea... China Says "South China Sea Is Not a Matter for US Interference"

US-China Standoff Continues... "Threat to Peace in the South China Sea"
China Conducts Live-Fire Drills in the West Sea Following Taiwan Surroundings

The United States is attempting military cooperation with countries involved in the South China Sea territorial disputes, escalating tensions with China in the South China Sea. The photo shows a military helicopter belonging to the Chinese military flying over Pingtan Island in Fujian Province, southern China, adjacent to Taiwan. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] China concluded its military exercises near Taiwan on the 7th, which had been conducted for several days in protest of Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visiting Taiwan. However, the intense standoff between the U.S. and China continues. China has stated that it can strike Taiwan at any time to achieve unification by force and block support from the U.S. and other countries.

The U.S. is actively blocking China's maritime expansion through military cooperation with countries involved in South China Sea territorial disputes, such as the Philippines. On the 6th (local time), U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a virtual joint press conference with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Both countries announced joint patrols in the South China Sea based on their Mutual Defense Treaty (VFA), and the U.S. pledged support for the Philippine Navy's training programs and defense technology.

Additionally, the U.S. has significantly strengthened its military cooperation with Indonesia, another party to the South China Sea territorial disputes.

In response, China expressed discomfort, stating that the South China Sea issue is not a matter for U.S. interference. The South China Sea is a strategic hub for international logistics, with an annual cargo volume worth $3.4 trillion (approximately 3,996.7 trillion KRW) passing through. China has long referred to the South China Sea as "our territorial waters" and, after clashes with Vietnam in the Paracel Islands in 1974 and 1988, unilaterally claims "90% of the South China Sea is Chinese territory." In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled that China's claims have no basis under international law, but China has not backed down.

Meanwhile, China is also responding immediately to the U.S. advance. The Chinese Ministry of Transport and Ministry of National Defense recently added a rescue flight unit and a maritime search and rescue center in the disputed areas of the South China Sea, reaffirming their determination to protect the South China Sea.

China is conducting live-fire exercises in the West Sea until the 15th, following those around Taiwan. These frequent military drills in various waters coincide with Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.

Furthermore, the recent live-fire exercises by the Chinese military in the West Sea are taking place ahead of the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises. South Korea and the U.S. plan to conduct joint exercises, including outdoor combined maneuver training, under the new exercise name "Ulchi Freedom Shield" from August 22 to September 1.