Beijing takes advantage of the epidemic to push its pawns in the South China Sea

4/23/2020, 5:52:35 PM

INFOGRAPHY - Aspiring to become the first maritime power in the world, China is held back in its ambitions by the United States, which ensures the stability of the area.

Since Monday, three American warships, joined by an Australian frigate, have been sailing the South China Sea for "crossing exercises". This American intrusion into a high-voltage area between China and its neighbors in Southeast Asia - Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan - comes after a succession of Chinese provocations since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic, including the recent presence of a Chinese ship particularly close to Malaysian exploratory drilling. The United States has not released the exact location of its operations, but according to Reuters, the American ships are very close to those of the Chinese and Malaysians.

Read also: The relationship between China and the United States facing the coronavirus epidemic

“The American response is welcome. The greatest danger to the stability of the area is that China will believe that it is the strongest. It is very important that the United States is present, ” explains Valérie Niquet, Asia manager at the Foundation for Strategic Research.

The East China Sea

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