China - Vietnam tensions over maritime territory

They are not moving the population of China to these islands, building these islands and ownership of those islands means they also legally own the waters around them including fishing and oil and gas.

Being tiny areas is not important... most of them have airfields and is a stepping stone that extends the reach of Chinese aircraft who can fly from the mainland to there and refuel and fly even further out... you can also dock ships and subs there too so it extends your reach.

If you have legal title to the ground 12 nautical miles beyond your boundary fence then 23 nautical miles away from your boundary fence becomes a good place to buy or build a new property for yourself, because your 12 mile boundary touches its 12 mile boundary and you control the water between them... if you are making islands... make them small so they are not too expensive, and make them about 23 nautical miles apart so you essentially control the water around your islands.

Saying they are vulnerable... Guam is therefore vulnerable... can you see the US ever giving that up?

The problem with Snake island is that it was in artillery range from mainland Ukraine held by Ukrainians.

Fishing and oil and gas. Very low price to pay for enmity with a collective 700 million people, whos countries all have claims to the territory.

If they all have claims then there is no solution is there?

I mean if China suddenly said it appreciates its relations with its neighbours more than the possession of these lumps of dirt and concrete, then the next strongest country in the region is most likely to pounce and take control... well actually what is more likely to happen is that the US will probably rush in and claim ownership, or a US proxy like Japan or Australia... which is why China is not going to have such a change of heart.

You're not going to bomb anyone into submission with such a paltry force.

They don't need to kill everyone... but sinking a half dozen ships from the navy of the country that keeps attacking their islands will probably do it.

GarryB wrote:They are not moving the population of China to these islands, building these islands and ownership of those islands means they also legally own the waters around them including fishing and oil and gas.

Artificial islands don't count towards EEZs.

GarryB wrote:
Saying they are vulnerable... Guam is therefore vulnerable... can you see the US ever giving that up?

The problem with Snake island is that it was in artillery range from mainland Ukraine held by Ukrainians.

In the age of the cheap PGM - is there any difference?

GarryB wrote:
If they all have claims then there is no solution is there?

I mean if China suddenly said it appreciates its relations with its neighbours more than the possession of these lumps of dirt and concrete, then the next strongest country in the region is most likely to pounce and take control... well actually what is more likely to happen is that the US will probably rush in and claim ownership, or a US proxy like Japan or Australia... which is why China is not going to have such a change of heart.

Merely doing nothing would have been the better choice. As it is the US wins a few more allies, gets its pick of shiny new bases from the SEA countries.

GarryB wrote:
They don't need to kill everyone... but sinking a half dozen ships from the navy of the country that keeps attacking their islands will probably do it.

You don't need a navy to attack those islands. What then?

lancelot wrote:
The Chinese have like 600 modern heavy fighters. Half J-20 and half J-16.
And that is not counting older aircraft like the J-11 or the J-10. Like another 1000 aircraft.

They also have the largest bomber fleet outside the US and Russia.
The H-6K. Which is a modernized H-6 with air launched cruise missiles.
Plus they have nukes.

Good for them. Now add the US and its vassals because there is no way they are going to not butt in.