Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

China South China Sea Fleet of new destroyer fleet.

6 1st, 7th Five defense organization (FPDA) defense ministers meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, senior defense officials. Individual local media took the opportunity to hype the issue of the South China Sea, it seems that the organization intends to dragged into the South China Sea dispute. As a legacy of colonialism, why the five countries defense organization linked with the South China Sea issue?

to pull Singapore’s “defense” China

6 2, Malaysia, “Kuala Lumpur, security reviews” website to “Singapore, said: Five defense does not exclude the future, including the South China Sea (SCS) disputes “in the title report of the meeting situation. The media correspondent for Singapore’s Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean presented two questions, namely: if the Nansha something, whether it be in line with Singapore’s five-nation defense mechanism, as Malaysian defense? Five defense is covering the South China Sea?

Teo responded that Singapore is not a “Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,” a member of the sovereignty over the Nansha Islands without any demands. As for the defense organization of the five countries covered by the South China Sea, he said that as the situation may be.

The paper believes that Mr Teo answer the first question, although carried out of the “Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea,” but no specific answer “yes” or “no”, which is a typical fuzzy position. The second problem can have many interpretations, but the key lies in how to define “the situation.” “Singapore is also important in the interests of the South China Sea, this is the reason Teo adopted a vague position, refused to self-imposed, to avoid possible future or to Singapore for the interests of the South China Sea bound hand and foot?”

The paper also claimed: “Southeast Asian countries and China in dealing with the dispute over sovereignty over the Nansha Islands, the successful conclusion of the” Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, “… but the weak Southeast Asian countries face increasingly powerful China, all feeling that the future bargaining chips may be gradually reduced . thus the birth of the phenomenon is that Southeast Asian countries and gradually took the road of joint challenges to deal with China, Vietnam and Malaysia joint submission of the continental shelf to the United Nations is the best example. “

in accordance with the logic of the text , Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, should unite against China in order to increase the bargaining chips to the South China Sea. The complexity of trying to make the intentions of the South China Sea disputes all too clear.

“five National Defense Service Agreement” hard to find stand-in

Five defense organization is essentially a colonial legacy. November 1971, the United Kingdom gathered in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, the establishment of the organization. “Five National Defense Service Agreement” provides that: any signatory to the event of attack, Member States shall consult each other, to take retaliatory action. The organization held regularly every three years, Secretary of Defense Conference, held alternately in Malaysia and Singapore, but due to a general lack of trust between member states, during the Cold War, the organization in name only.

“9.11″, the global situation has undergone major changes, FPDA member countries for their own interests, with the organization for multilateral security cooperation in responding to terrorism and other non-traditional security fields of the various military exercises, covering land, sea and air forces. A few years ago, scholars have suggested the ASEAN Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, trilateral military cooperation to replace the “Five Defense Service Agreement,” the defense cooperation in Southeast Asia will be established on the basis of its own in the ASEAN member countries to get rid of the outside country military dependent. Singapore has emphasized: Five defense organization still plays in the new situation “stable Southeast Asia,” a powerful deterrent effect, can not give up easily. From this, the short term these proposals will not be adopted.

Southeast Asian countries to step up military preparations

to strengthen coordination at the same time, Southeast Asian countries, the military preparations for the South China Sea has not been relaxed. May 19, the high commander of the Philippine Navy Razvan said, be prepared to spend about 100 million to upgrade the country’s controversial presence in the Nansha islands and atolls of 9 on military equipment. It is reported that $ 1,000,000 is the annual Philippine Navy facilities maintenance routine 10 times.

Also in mid-May, the Russian side of the news that the Russian defense export company has been signed with Vietnam in January this year, the sale of 12 Su-30MK2 multi-role fighter contract, the aircraft is mainly used to win air superiority, attack surface and land targets. Previously, Vietnam has purchased six “Kilo” class submarine preliminary agreement with Russia.

more “coincidence” is that the Malaysian Ministry of Defense also announced last month, from the country’s 10th Five-Year Plan, every five years, purchase two multi-purpose fighter squadrons, until similar units the total to six. Procurement of aircraft may be US-made “Super Hornet” fighter or the Swedish “Gripen” fighter jets, Russian-made Su-30 fighters are in the scope of the study.

Southeast Asian countries frequently purchase military equipment, and conduct multi-level military cooperation, this series of moves to the regional situation adds uncertainty. In contrast, the Chinese government has always advocated the peaceful settlement of disputes, maritime rights and interests, that the “Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” should become the basis for the parties to a framework for consultation. Newspaper freelance writer Xu Liping (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences expert on Southeast Asia)