China is normalising its military presence in the Indo-Pacific Region, as per the Australian Strategic Institute:
… For Australia and its partners, the challenge is not simply responding to individual Chinese activities but understanding how they fit into a broader pattern of gradual expansion. A port visit here, a survey mission there, a new security agreement with a Pacific Island state –each may seem manageable in isolation. But together they point to a long-term effort to shift the balance of presence and influence across the Indo-Pacific …
China’s [military] presence in seas and ports far from its coast is becoming routine. The frequency of its appearances has been rising for about a decade … This is another example of China’s familiar tactic of salami slicing, seen also, for example, in its progressive attempts at dominating the South China Sea: it takes a little, then a little more, and hopes eventually to have the whole salami …
China will build presence incrementally and regional actors will respond through surveillance, partnerships and operational activity. The greatest danger lies in cumulative friction. Individual incidents may be manageable, but repeated interactions will increase the likelihood that one is misinterpreted or escalates beyond initial intent …
Edit:
Philippines slams China posturing in the West Philippine Sea
Mamamayang Liberal (Ml) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima has castigated China’s “entitled bully” posture , which has once again placed it at odds with the country’s position in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) … De Lima and her fellow members of the House minority bloc hailed the Philippine Coas Guard’s (PCG) tracking and challenging a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel drifting just 50 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales (in the Phliippines).
“China’s refusal to acknowledge our radio challenges while within our [the Philippines’] Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) demonstrates the behavior of a superpower who feels entitled to bully others,” added the House senior deputy minority leader.
China is normalising its military presence in the Indo-Pacific Region
What is “normalizing” supposed to mean within the context of a nation that borders this region and does immense amounts of naval trade through it?
This is another example of China’s familiar tactic of salami slicing, seen also, for example, in its progressive attempts at dominating the South China Sea
Again - the South China Sea - why do you think they call it that?
Also, who has historically dominated the area? And why is this regional hegemon so incapable of playing nicely with it’s neighbors?
Side note: One of my favourite maps is Brunei’s rather, let’s say “brazen”, claim to the South China Sea.
