US admiral likens China’s actions in the disputed sea to Russia and Ukraine

A Philippine Coast Guard vessel was left with minor structural damage after Chinese vessels blocked ship during a “rotation and reprovisioning operation” last March 5 , 2024. Photo from Philippine Coast Guard.

By Manuel Mogato | Date 04-13-2024

MANILA  — The commander of the United States military forces in the Indo-Pacific region expressed serious concerns over China’s activities in the South China Sea.

Speaking at a forum hosted by Australia’s Lowly Institute in Sydney, Admiral John Aquilino likened China’s unilateral activities to what Russia had done in Ukraine.

Like the “brutal” Russian invasion in Ukraine, Aquilino said China has been using unilateral force to gain “territorial space” in the region, including in India.

“I am very, very concerned about the directions it’s going,” Aquilino said, adding China’s unilateral actions are “dangerous, illegal, and destabilizing the region.”

Aquilino also commended Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr for taking a stand against China and its “bad behavior” in the region.

“That is unilateral action by a strong nation to impress their will and goals on another nation in the region,” he said. “If you think about that, it sounds like Russia and Ukraine.”

He said he was “very concerned about what is happening at Second Thomas Shoal,” where six Filipino sailors were injured after the Chinese Coast Guard blasted water cannons on a civilian supply vessel.

“So what’s next, and how far are they willing to go in that area?” he asked.
But he also pointed out that has been doing the same in other parts of the region, like in the Senkaku islands in the East China Sea and other parts of the South China Sea in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam’s exclusive economic zones.

China is claiming everything inside its so-called nine or ten-dash-line, but Aquilino said the claim was illegal and has no basis in international law. It was also declared unlawful in the 2016 ruling of an international tribunal in The Hague.

The US would support its allies and partners and hold joint exercises to demonstrate strength and commitment to a rules-based order and international law.

An example he pointed out was the recent naval maneuvers by the United States with Australia, Japan, and the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea.

The US has also increased the number and frequency of its joint and combined military exercises, transforming most bilateral activities into multilateral, multi-domain drills, like Balikatan in the Philippines.

There will be a Balikatan exercise from the end of April until the middle of May after the bilateral air force and army exercises for two weeks, starting this week.

At the same forum. Aquilino also expressed concern about what he said was synchronization between Russia and China, as well as between Russia and North Korea.

“Those sets of cooperation and the linkages are a new world and a concern,” he added.