sure they are! guffaw! snort!
By MarEx 2016-12-14 00:42:55
The United States is ready to confront China should it continue its overreaching maritime claims in the South China Sea, the head of the U.S. Pacific fleet said on Wednesday, comments that threaten to escalate tensions between the two global rivals.
China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.
The United States has called on China to respect the findings of arbitration court in The Hague earlier this year which invalidated its vast territorial claims in the strategic waterway.
But Beijing continues to act in an āaggressiveā manner, to which the United States stands ready to respond, Admiral Harry Harris, head of the U.S. Pacific Command, said in a speech at the Lowy Institute in Sydney.
āWe will not allow a shared domain to be closed down unilaterally no matter how many bases are built on artificial features in the South China Sea,ā he said. āWe will cooperate when we can but we will be ready to confront when we must.ā
The comments threaten to stoke tensions between the United States and China, already heightened by President-elect Donald Trumpās decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwanās president on December 2 that prompted a diplomatic protest from Beijing.
Asked about Harrisās remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the situation in the South China Sea was currently stable, thanks to the hard work of China and others in the region.
āWe hope the United States can abide by its promises on not taking sides on the sovereignty dispute in the South China Sea, respect the efforts of countries in the region to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea region and do more to promote peace and stability there,ā he told a daily news briefing.
The United States estimates Beijing has added more than 3,200 acres (1,300 hectares) of land on seven features in the South China Sea over the past three years, building runways, ports, aircraft hangars and communications equipment.
In response, the United States has conducted a series of freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, the latest of which came in October.
The patrols have angered Beijing, with a senior Chinese official in July warning the practice may end in ādisasterā.
Harris said it was a decision for the Australian government whether the U.S. ally should undertake its own freedom-of-navigation operations, but said the United States would continue with the practice.
Harris said Australia could āwalk and chew gumā at the same time and was not being asked to make a choice between the U.S. and China.
Australia has not yet flown or sailed within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-claimed islands in the South China Sea.
āThe U.S. fought its first war following our independence to ensure freedom of navigation,ā said Harris. āThis is an enduring principle and one of the reasons our forces stand ready to fight tonight.ā
how much of US debt does China own today? it is $1.3 trillion in fact! how fast would the dollar plunge the moment they say their central bank is selling the bonds off cheap? if they told the world that their US dollar holdings would be drastically reduced? the value of the dollar would evaporate overnight! although Chinaās economy would suffer if they did it would survive while ours would die very painfully. China already has won their war with us as has Russia and Saudi Arabia and on and onā¦ We are gonners, it is only how fast will our demise be? That is why the DAUNTLESS is my escape module ready to flee when the sudden collapse unfolds (might well be much sooner than later once a certain loose cannon takes up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washingtoon, District of Cowards)
