By Lan Jianxue and Sun Wenzhu
藍建學、孫文竹
The South China Sea has been beset by disturbances recently. The US partnered with Japan and other countries to conduct the so-called largest scale of military exercise in the region. As to China's legitimate rights protection actions off the waters, the country distorted facts and confused public opinions by claiming that China "threatened the freedom of navigation". And the G7 incited regional tensions by hyping up China-related issues during the Hiroshima summit... Small clique led by the US is attempting to introduce bloc confrontation and new Cold War mentality into the Asia-Pacific region by stirring up trouble in the South China Sea, so as to safeguard its global hegemony.
近來，南海地區不平靜：美國伙同日本等國，在南海開展所謂“史上最大規模軍演”；面對中方在南海的正當維權行動，美方宣稱中方“威脅航行自由”，顛倒黑白，混淆視聽；廣島峰會期間，七國集團炒作涉華議題，煽動南海緊張局勢……以美國為首的“小團伙”企圖挑動南海緊張局勢，把陣營對抗和新冷戰導入亞太地區，維護美國全球霸權地位。
Located in the Western Hemisphere, the US is undoubtedly an extraterritorial country in the South China Sea. But its warships and military aircraft have long been making provocations in this sea area and trespassing into China's territorial waters off the Xisha and Nansha Islands under the banner of "freedom of navigation and overflight". When China tracked and warned off these intruders in a legal and professional manner, the US side shifted the blame onto China by accusing it of violating international law. However, to circumvent the constraints of international law, the US itself has not yet ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to the latest data, tens of thousands of ships from various countries have passed through the South China Sea every year lately, but neither one of them has been heard of being blocked or threatened. Diving deeper into the hidden dangers over freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a priority should be put on the investigation of the frontier deployment, military espionage and so-called Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOP) carried out by US military aircraft and ships, which could easily spark an accidental conflict and has evolved into the biggest source of trouble in the South China Sea.
美國身處西半球，無疑是南海域外國家。但長期以來，其軍艦軍機打著“航行飛越自由”旗號，在南海挑釁滋事，擅闖中國西沙和南沙領海。當中方依法合規、安全專業地跟監驅離處置美艦美機時，美方卻倒打一耙，宣稱中方“違反國際法”。而美國自己為規避國際法約束，迄今仍未批準《聯合國海洋法公約》。根據最新數據，近年來每年數萬艘各國船只在南海通行，從未聽說哪艘船通行受阻、安全受威脅。若要深挖南海航行自由的隱患，首先得追究美國軍機艦船在南海搞的前沿部署、軍情刺探與“橫行自由”行動，因為這些行徑極易導致擦槍走火，已成為南海地區的最大亂源。
For more than 30 years since the end of the Cold War, the Asia-Pacific region has established effective regional cooperation mechanisms including ASEAN-China (10+1) and ASEAN Plus Three (10+3) centered around the ASEAN, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and East Asia Summit (EAS), forging an increasingly close political, economic and security relations among regional countries. In order to peacefully resolve disputes around the South China Sea, China has worked with regional countries to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and actively promoted consultations on a Code of Conduct (COC) with the overall and long-term interests of all countries in mind. Over the years, thanks to the concerted efforts of all parties, this region has maintained a stable overall situation and deeper exchanges and cooperation among countries.
冷戰結束后30余年里，亞太地區先后形成以東盟為中心的10+1、10+3、東盟地區論壇及東亞峰會等卓有成效的地區合作機制，地區國家間建立起日益緊密的政治經濟安全關系。為和平解決南海爭端，中方攜手地區國家，著眼大局和長遠，全面有效落實《南海各方行為宣言》，積極推進“南海行為準則”磋商。多年來，在各方共同努力下，南海局勢總體穩定，地區國家間交流合作日益深入。
Witnessing the prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region, the US began to worry that it would be alienated by its allies and partners under the growing influence of China. Therefore, recent US administrations have concocted strategic patterns including "Return to Asia-Pacific", "Asia-Pacific Rebalance", "Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific", "Indo-Pacific Strategy" and "Indo-Pacific Economic Framework". With the core target of containing China, the country has also promoted the AUKUS, the Quad, and Five Eyes Alliance in an attempt to establish a multi-level and nested linkage to deter China.
面對亞太地區的欣欣向榮，美國開始擔心中國影響力不斷提升、亞太盟友伙伴會對自己“離心離德”。于是，近幾屆美國政府先后鼓搗了“重返亞太”“亞太再平衡”“印太戰略框架”“印太戰略”“印太經濟框架”等花樣。圍繞遏制中國這一核心目標，美國還在軍事同盟基礎上，打造美英澳三邊安全伙伴關系，推動美日印澳“四邊機制”，強化“五眼聯盟”，企圖串聯多層次、嵌套式“遏華統一戰線”。
The US has also colluded with other extraterritorial forces to incite disputes over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the Asia-Pacific, which intensified conflicts, Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation in this region. After the overall escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the country also intends to introduce crisis to Asia-Pacific and gain private profits as always through the so-called Asian Pacific version of NATO and other more moves. It also manipulates the South China Sea issue and coerces regional countries to contain China to serve its hegemonic profits recklessly.
美國還勾連其他域外勢力，挑動亞太地區領土主權與海洋權益爭端，煽動地區國家矛盾，在亞太挑起新冷戰和陣營對抗。烏克蘭危機全面升級后，美國大搞所謂“亞太北約化”“北約亞太化”等小動作，圖謀將烏克蘭危機、美式“拱火漁利”復制到亞太地區，操弄南海問題，脅迫地區國家“遏制中國”，為美國霸權火中取栗。
On the contrary, for the sake of long-term peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large, China has put forward and implemented Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) in succession, which have gradually won widespread recognition and support from countries in the region. The key to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific lies in mutual trust, solidarity and cooperation and mutual assistance among regional countries, with the regional security being harnessed by themselves.
與之相反，為了亞太乃至全球長治久安，中國相繼提出并落實全球發展倡議、全球安全倡議、全球文明倡議，逐漸得到地區國家的普遍認同和廣泛支持。亞太地區和平安寧的關鍵在于地區國家堅持相互信任、團結合作、守望相助，牢牢把自身安全掌握在自己手里。
The Asia-Pacific is playing a more prominent role at a time when the whole world is faced with another crossroad in history. As long as countries in the Asia-Pacific continue to deepen a partnership featuring mutual trust, inclusiveness and win-win coordination with the principle of solidarity and mutual support, toward the building of an Asia-Pacific community of a shared future, there will be further less space for extraterritorial forces to stir up trouble in the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific, thus providing firm guarantee for regional peace and stability.
當前，世界又一次站在歷史的十字路口，亞太地位更加重要、作用更加突出。只要亞太各國不斷深化互信、包容、合作、共贏的亞太伙伴關系，同舟共濟、守望相助，朝著構建亞太命運共同體不斷邁進，域外勢力在南海拱火生亂、在亞太興風作浪的空間必將被進一步壓縮，地區和平與安寧就有了更為厚實的保障。
(Lan Jianxue is the director of Department for Asia-Pacific Studies, China Institute of International Relations. Sun Wenzhu is an associate research fellow at this institution.)
（藍建學系中國國際問題研究院亞太研究所所長；孫文竹系中國國際問題研究院亞太研究所副研究員）
Editor's note: Originally published on haiwainet.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
