Recent events are steadily moving a number of nations closer to an armed conflict in the South China Sea. On one side is China. On the other side is virtually every other nation in the region plus nations which intend to keep the South China Sea classified as international waters for free navigation purposes. As I’m sure readers are aware, China has made claims of sovereignty over almost all the South China Sea. Given the history of that body of water being international waters, China’s claims appear to be absurd and bellicose. I’m sure China realizes that fact. Events have occurred that indicate a clash in the region is becoming more likely.
The first link reports that while China is still warning the USA and other nations to “steer clear” of these waters, the USA will not recognize China’s claims. Indeed, to demonstrate a specific defiance of China’s claim, the senior US admiral in the Pacific Fleet personally flew through the airspace of the South China Sea on a high-tech US reconnaissance airplane. The first link also reports that China is accelerating the building of artificial islands in the South China Sea, and is now building “at least seven artificial islands.” We can expect all of them to be militarized. In what I see as obvious obfuscation of the growing threat level, the first link cites China’s “uncertain intentions” in the region. What is “uncertain” about the Chinese actions? They are preparing to go to war.
Other nations threatened by China are taking more actions to work together against China if necessary. The second link reports that the Communist Party Leader of Vietnam visited personally with US President Obama recently in the USA. One of the reasons cited in the article is the fact that Vietnam is growing “alarmed” over Chinese actions in the South China Sea. Many people tend to forget that Vietnam’s most recent war was not with the USA, but was fought against China. The third link reports on the rather urgent efforts of Japanese Prime Minister Abe to ram through the Japanese Parliament a series of bills that makes it legal for Japan to deploy its military forces to other nations outside of Japan in the event of a war that threatens Japan’s interests. As a commerce-dependent nation, any Chinese action to control the South China Sea, by definition, threatens Japan’s interests. Many in Japan opposed Abe’s actions, but the Parliament agreed with Abe. They are realistically looking at China’s growing threat and had no choice but to take such action.
In a number of previous posts on this subject, I’ve noted that China has a pressing need to test its many new types of weaponry against the latest western weapons to see if China’s new weaponry works as well as designed. In order to create realistic combat conditions for testing its weapons, China needs a regional war. In the time of the Cold War, the USA and the Soviet Union regularly tested their new weaponry via surrogate wars–usually in the Mideast. China has no such ready opportunity to test its weapons. China especially wants to see if its new anti-carrier ballistic and cruise missiles can sink a US aircraft carrier. Personally, I think China has made its outlandish claims in the South China Sea in order to provoke just such a war. Any war in the South China Sea would enable China to test its naval and air forces vs. the USA and other nations’ weapons, but Chinese army commanders surely want to get some combat experience for their forces as well. A naval battle won’t give the Chinese army any role, but a role could be created if Chinese troops are parachuted or landed onto some Philippine islands during any such conflict. It is also possible that while the world’s attention and military forces are engaged in the South China Sea, China could choose to attack Taiwan at that same time. The chances of an attack vs. Taiwan will increase greatly if China’s military can sink or so damage US carriers that they cannot reinforce Taiwan’s defenses.
China has built a very large military force with many new modern weapons. However, their military forces are essentially only “parade troops” as they have no combat experience. China also hasn’t had a chance to test its new weaponry to see if it can defeat US weapons or whether they have bought a massive supply of weapons that the US can still defeat.
Ezekiel 38-39 has a very specific prophecy that Russia, China, Iran and their allies will launch a surprise attack vs. the USA at the very end of our age. It makes little sense for China (or Russia) to launch such a global World War III until they have field tested their weaponry to see if it works as well as expected. Russia is able to field test new weaponry in its smoldering war in East Ukraine, but China has had no chance to test its new weaponry. Don’t be surprised if China pushes steadily harder against the Pacific Rim nations and the USA to trigger just such a war. For much more documentation about how accurate the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 is shaping up, please read my article, What Ezekiel 38–39 Reveals about a Future World War III. As that article shows, this prophecy even predicted the growing alliance between Japan, India and such nations as South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Viet Nam, Singapore, etc. It is China’s warlike actions that are driving those nations together as allies.
- http://www.pressreader.com/usa/usa-today-us-edition/20150722/281565174453361/TextView
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/07/07/obama-meets-with-vietnamese-communist-party-leader-at-white-house/
- http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/17/world/asia/japans-lower-house-passes-bills-giving-military-freer-hand-to-fight.html?_r=0
