China defence of national sovereignty

One Western scholar, Samuel N K Blay, defines territorial integrity as the territorial “oneness” or “wholeness” of the State.

“As a norm of international law,” Blay explains, “it protects the territorial framework of the independent State and is an essential foundation of the sovereignty of States. It extends principally over land territory, the territorial sea appurtenant to the land, and the seabed and subsoil of the territorial sea.”

This postulation is quite relevant and enlightening given the recent controversy about Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wei’s so-called “stop-over” or transit through the United States of America to engage in political activities and enlist support for independence in violation of the One-China principle that holds that Taiwan is a part of China.

On the other hand, China’s territorial integrity has been threatened by the US in the South China Sea.

China has asserted that the US disregards the history and facts surrounding the South China Sea issue, deliberately stokes disputes on territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and sows discord among regional countries. It has become the biggest force undermining stability and fueling militarization in the South China Sea.

Data from relevant organizations show that the number of US close-in reconnaissance activities targeting China has more than doubled over the past decade and more. Right now, an average of five US naval vessels cruise near China’s shore every day.

Over the past year, US naval vessels have been sailing through the Taiwan Strait about once a month, and large US reconnaissance planes have flown over 800 times close to China and repeatedly violated China’s airspace. Eager to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, the US has also encouraged its allies and partners to sail their naval vessels into the South China Sea.

Following Tsai’s provocative visit, the world was once again at a crossroads, with tensions in the Taiwan and Indo-Pacific regions, which are a potential threat to world peace and may affect countries  as far off as Zimbabwe given the inter-connectedness of the globe today. (The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is a recent example of how conflict can have global ramifications with soaring petroleum and food prices.)

Standing firm

What, however, emerged from the tensions caused by Taiwan leader’s ill-advised visit to the US and engaging in political activities is that China is standing firm in upholding its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Many countries have been at risk of secession and the so-called independence movements that have not yielded any benefits for the people.

The US, the architect of these movements as well as other destabilisation forces, has been trying to engineer the wrong path for Taiwan, with US hawks seeking to promote war, undermine peace and eventually target to weaken and destroy China.

However, China has consistently made a passionate defence of  the fatherland, that has now become a hallmark of drawing boundaries of what the US cannot do to willy nilly undernine national sovereignty and destroy nations.

Countries in danger of US’ cynical machinations could look up to the Chinese example for its principled stance in defence of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

After the Taiwan provocative visit to the US, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly stated that: “In response to the egregiously wrong action taken by the United States and Taiwan, China will take strong and resolute measures to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

China urged the United States to adhere to the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, act on the US leader’s assurances of not supporting “Taiwan independence” and not supporting “two Chinas” or “one China, one Taiwan”, stop at once any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, stop upgrading substantive relations with Taiwan, stop creating factors that could cause tensions in the Taiwan Strait, stop containing China by exploiting the Taiwan question, and not go further down the wrong and dangerous path.

China should not tire in expressing its sovereignty and asserting its territorial integrity, including the right over the Taiwan territory which is a part of China.

On the other hand, the international community should also strong support for China in this rightful claim and oppose US’ interference and deceitful encouragement of separatism in Taiwan.

Rally of ASEAN

What is encouraging is that to resolve issues in their locality, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are working to negotiate the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea based on the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

ASEAN members have come to the realisation that the US is using Asia’s security issues as a lever to deploy military forces and to continue maintaining the Asia order that it has worked hard to keep operation since World War II.

In 2002, China signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea with Southeast Asian countries based on the basic principle of “shelving disputes and promoting joint development” proposed by Deng Xiaoping. Eight years later, China and ASEAN established a free trade area, and cooperation between the “10+3” (ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea) has continued to advance in fields such as finance and food. The embryo of a new Asia order is taking shape.

The closing of ranks among ASEAN countries means that at a regional or subregional levels, the countries have recognised the need to maintain peace and not open themselves up to the enemy.

This is a wise and strategic decision because once they open up to the infiltration and destabilisation of the US, the ramifications would be dire.

Hence, the defence, protection and safeguard of territorial integrity is paramount and critical for world peace and security.