From China's outward-facing propaganda organ, Global Times, August 28:
The US is not a littoral state of the South China Sea; it lies tens of thousands of kilometers away. However, the US has become the greatest destabilizing factor and challenge to the regional development of the South China Sea. As a potentially dangerous "time bomb," it continues to daydream about how to manipulate regional countries into confronting China.
On Sunday, Karl Thomas, the US Navy's Seventh Fleet Commander who was in Manila for a port call, called out China's "aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea, referring to China Coast Guard vessels' lawful interception of Philippine ships that trespassed into waters near Ren'ai Reef of China's Nansha Islands on August 5. "You have to challenge people I would say operating in a grey zone," Thomas told Reuters.
That incident happened in early August and quickly festered under Washington's constant hype. Thomas's remarks prove that the US hopes to heat up this event again to continue provoking China-Philippine relations, with the aim of Manila fully aligning with Washington and becoming a front-runner in the US' strategic plan against China.
The current tensions in the South China Sea are mainly caused by the US' instigation, and such action of playing with fire is dangerous to the US.
The US has overestimated its own military capability, as well as the determination and confidence of its regional allies and partners to participate in its Indo-Pacific Strategy against China. How China and relevant countries solve the dispute is none of Washington's business. If the US dares to provoke China's core interests in the South China Sea, it will certainly face a head-on blow from China.
China's principle has been consistent and clear - we won't relinquish what is ours, nor do we desire any territory that does not belong to us. The US, however, is pulling in neighboring countries around China to flex its muscle and create tension in the region. Despite its efforts, it will never get what it wants, but will only create more instability in the region....
....MUCH MORE
