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South China Sea Confrontation, Chinese Netizen Reactions

by on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 240 comments

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From Tom.com:

America’s Military  Again Claims the Right to Enter China’s Special Economic Zone Waters

The foreign ministers of both China and the United States have met at a conference and agreed to do their best to avoid incidents similar to the “Wuxia” event [the Chinese name for "Impeccable", the American vessel in the South China Sea], but the American Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen still says that China’s strategic intentions are not clear. He claims that “Wuxia” [Impeccable] has the right to operate in the South China Sea and that the actions of the mainland fishing boats were “irresponsible.”

The article goes on to say…

Mullen again spoke of China and the United States’ difference of opinion on this matter, saying that the Chinese side believes that the incident occurred in China’s exclusive economic zone, an area within 200 km of the coast, but that America has the right to enter this area. “These aren’t territorial waters. Territorial waters go out to 12 km, and exclusive economic zones go out to 200 km. Any country has the right to enter.”

In fact, China’s Ministry of Defense spokesperson Huang Xueping has previously refuted this argument. He said that the American surveillance vessel had not yet received China’s permission [to enter the waters] and was illegally carrying out surveillance activities in China’s special economic zone, breaking the United Nation’s “Convention on the Law of the Seas”, “The People’s Republic of China Special Economic Zone and Mainland Framework,” and “The People’s Republic of China Foreign Overseas Research Regulations.”

This article appeared in the Oriental Morning Post (东方早报). It was reprinted on Tom.com where it had 452 “supports” from users and 31 “not supports” at the time it was translated.

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Comments:

Anon says:

Americans are too overbearing/arrogant.

Anon says:

Our strength is fishing boats…

Anon says:

Using fishing boats is a strategy, get it?

Anon says:

From the pictures above we can see: The American warship and the Chinese fishing boats have such a striking contrast [in size]… This is like an adult and a small child…

ysf590109 says:

China must establish a strong defense ability! It must rely on comprehensive [economic, technology, defense, etc.] national strength before it can defeat the American devils!!!

Anon says:

It was originally ours [the South China Sea], so we should go take it, why do we need to say anything to America and Japan? Is China that afraid of war? We shouldn’t be like the Qing Dynasty [and give in to foreign powers], still wanting to be the sick man of Asia? Oh, if a war started, I’d go join the military.

Anon says:

To be honest I also hope we don’t go to war, but when shit is tossed on your head you have no choice but to fight. Even though I’m uncultured I’m still a patriot, I’ll be the first to join the military. My cell phone number is [the user’s supposed cell phone number].

Anon says:

We’re not the sick man of Asia, let “them” [它们, a pronoun for animals and objects, not people] see our strength. Don’t let down 1.3 billion people.

Anon says:

Why is it at the critical moment, we only have fishing boats?!

Anon says:

One word: attack. Fuck, just protesting everyday who will pay attention to you? Even small countires will walk all over us. The army can’t just help farmers do work!

Anon says:

Go to war with those fuckers, this can also warm up our economy for awhile.

Anon says:

From ancient times until today, Western countries have just been barbaric peoples. They enslave people that are different races from themselves, and trample as they wish on other country’s cultures. This kind of creature will not speak reason with you.

Anon says:

Old Chairman Mao said it right, all reactionaries are paper tigers [meaning they seem to be threatening but in fact are weak]. Fight them! During the “Resist America, Aid Korea War” [known as the Korean War in the US] our economy was so poor and look how we fought the United Nations, now that’s called guts, that’s called a strong will, it really raised our national prestige. Experts say that our economy isn’t as good as America’s, no shit, are we supposed to catch up to American before fighting them?

Anon says:

We too should send our warships 12.1 nautical miles off the coast of America to do exercises!

Anon says:

Kill one to warn one hundred!

While most netizens came out in favor of China, two people did try to defend the United States:

Anon says:

You shits*, what do things that happen in international waters have to do with you? Go concern yourself with things that involve you.

[* The original Chinese was "粪们", fen4 men which refers to 愤青, fen4 qing1. However, this is also a pun because instead of 愤, fen4 (indignant/angry), 粪, fen4 (shit) is used. Also seen as 粪青, fen4 qing1 (shitty youth).]

To which someone replied:

Go home and eat shit!

Anon says:

The American ship didn’t do it on purpose, and anyway it was just a surveillance ship, what is China making such a big fuss over? Moreover, every time China just moves its mouth [and doesn’t do anything], so it would be better to not say anything at all, because if it were serious, China would not be able to say anything anyway.

More news about this incident:

  • Shanghaiist: Chinese ships on U.S. navy “harassing” streak in South China seas
  • Danwei: Chinese sailors moon U.S. spy ship
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240 Comments

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  1. California Guy
    Friday, March 20, 2009 at 10:00 am

    I still say sexy hot Chinese girls for everyone and the world will be a better place. Make love, not war. Make a lot of love, then flip them over and do it again, hahaha! God, I am addicted to Chinese girls. Sorry again for the digression… :)

    Reply
  2. rat sass
    Friday, March 20, 2009 at 11:38 am

    What I am wondering is why the Impeccable is manned by private sector contractors rather than military people. Foreign affairs, much less the military, cannot be subcontracted and succeed. See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/world/asia/11military.html?_r=1&hp

    Reply
  3. Taojas
    Friday, March 20, 2009 at 11:54 am

    When you think it over, an individual country’s maritime borders may be likened to an individual’s personal space – nobody likes it when somebody gets too close. So its only natural people/nations get touchy when the “boundaries” are pushed – US, China or anybody else.

    Cheers to World Peace, respecting boundaries and intimate contact (@ California Guy) when and where possible…

    Reply
  4. bert
    Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 12:22 am

    http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/4/12/181846.shtml

    Reply
  5. krdr
    Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    Let’s twist the story, imagine that place of event is 70 km from Californian shore, and Chinese surveillance ship was distracted by US fishermen and ocean scientist. Act of Chinese will be qualified as “despicable” and fishermen as “brave”.

    It is all about PR. There’s always a lies in which we love to beleive.

    Reply
  6. Jay
    Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 11:00 pm

    This is a serious issue and more will happen. The US (with the silent support of small Asian nations) will not allow the Chinese Navy to change the international rules of the ocean. This is a 150-year old tradition.

    Soviet (and now Russian) warships were and are often in the Economic Zone waters of America and we understand that it is their right. We don’t harass them and our sailors certainly don’t strip down to their underwear and prance around on deck while Russians spray them with water. When will China ever grow up and start abiding by civilized rules?

    Reply
  7. yourANGLOwebsiteSUCKSDONG
    Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 12:12 am

    WANG WEI LIVES
    A HERO THAT WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED ADMIST TORRENT OF EVIL

    AS LONG AS ONE GOOD PERSON REMEMBERS HE WILL ALWAYS LIVE ON !!!!!!

    OSAMA BIN LIVES ON TO FIGHT EVIL

    GOOD MEN STILL LIVES !!!

    Reply
  8. J
    Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 5:09 am

    Back off. You’ve been playing Master Empire all too long.

    Reply
  9. VeerLeft
    Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 12:27 pm

    Hahahaha, Wang Wei? WANG WEI the pilot?
    A guy that couldn’t keep his JET fighter away from the giant ‘flying boxcar’ known as an EP-3?
    He lost his life due to his own stupidity/bravado and to negligent maintenance (he never ejected).
    The REAL story would make your head spin.

    Reply
    • Billy Joe
      Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 3:42 pm

      You are showing how stupid you are.
      a) Wang Wei DID eject, but his body was not recovered.
      b) Wang Wei has intercepted the EP-3 several times
      c) Wang Wei screwed up the last time – every time he intercepted it, he would fly very close

      Reply
    • Billy Joe
      Sunday, March 22, 2009 at 3:46 pm

      d) it has been reported that Wang Wei’s favorite scene in Top Gun was Tom Cruise flying upsidedown and giving the bird to the Mig

      Reply
  10. Kai
    Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 11:46 am

    If you’re a voracious consumer of news and information like I am, you’ve probably already seen this article from the Huffington Post or FPIF. To be honest, it only echoes what a lot of other articles (examples here and here) have already noted before.

    Here’s the article as it deserves reprinting here:

    The Next Cold War?
    by John Feffer

    Let’s say that China sends a ship 75 miles off San Diego to do a little surveillance. Those are international waters, after all, and Beijing is interested in the latest developments in our submarine warfare capabilities at Naval Base Point Loma. And it wants to do some reconnaissance for its own expanding fleet of subs. Want to bet that the United States dispatches a ship to tell the Chinese to back off?

    Earlier this month when the situation was reversed, however, America got all huffy when China confronted the USNS Impeccable, a surveillance vessel, 75 miles from China’s naval base at Hainan Island. The Pentagon argued that the United States can do whatever it wants in international waters. China responded that the Impeccable was in China’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone, which it says should be restricted to peaceful activities.

    The United States has refused to back down. “We’re going to continue to operate in those international waters, and we expect the Chinese to observe international law around that,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

    Wait a second: did he say international law? Which international law was Gibbs referring to? The relevant statute would be the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China has ratified but the United States has not. Oh, and by the way, the convention is quite specific: use of the exclusive economic zone “shall be reserved for peaceful purposes.”

    International law notwithstanding, the United States has long treated the Pacific as an American lake and China as beachfront property that we have to keep a special eye on. “Today, the United States and its allies Japan and South Korea are deploying Aegis destroyers to encircle China’s coastline and put its small nuclear deterrent capability at risk,” writes Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF) contributor Bruce Gagnon in Arms Race in Space as part of our Pacific Freeze coverage. “China also knows that the U.S. Space Command has been annually war-gaming a first-strike attack on its nation. In a computer war game set in the year 2016, the United States launches the attack, using a system now under development called the military space plane.”

    China is not taking this all lying down. Beijing is modernizing its military at a rapid clip. It has announced a nearly 15% increase in spending for 2009, the 19th time in 20 years that it has increased its military budget by double digits. That’s still one-eighth of U.S. military spending, but the Pentagon is nervously checking its rearview mirror. Navy officials in particular are worried that China’s fleet is on track to outstrip the U.S. fleet in size, though not capabilities, in the next decade.

    China’s economy will also likely show the world’s only significant growth this year as other major economies slip into stagnation or worse. There will be, of course, a cut in global demand, a drop in Chinese exports, downsizing at Chinese factories, and more unrest throughout the country. “China’s economy may suffer more than most others, but it also has more tools and resources in reserve than most others,” James Fallows concludes in a relatively upbeat article in The Atlantic. “There is one more part of the big picture: the opportunities that today’s disruption may be opening for future Chinese growth.”

    China’s economic versatility and military rise has created anxiety and even a measure of resignation among U.S. foreign policy elites. In the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, Robert Kaplan acknowledges that America won’t be king of the hill for much longer. Ah, wrong metaphor: U.S. strength derives as much from its dominion over the sea as its ability to project force over land. Kaplan advises Washington to use its current naval capabilities to usher in a new age of balance of power centered around the Indian Ocean and presided over by China and India. “Rather than ensure its dominance,” he writes, “the U.S. Navy simply needs to make itself continually useful.”

    This is a rather astounding statement. This early supporter of the Iraq War and cheerleader for the American imperium is now urging his government to become a team player. Like the U.S. soldiers that he has interviewed extensively, Kaplan is perhaps suffering his own version of travel fatigue and imperial overstretch. He’s still too much of a realpolitik devotee to become a charter member of the Ban-Ki Moon fan club. But his grudging acceptance of multipolarity suggests that the winds are shifting.

    One new approach embraced by the Obama administration is 3D: development, diplomacy, and defense. In this scenario, the military makes itself useful, in Kaplan’s sense of the word, by helping with economic development and stabilizing states. It’s actually not a new approach, points out FPIF contributor Francis Njubi Nesbitt in Hearts and Minds and Empire. We’ve been there before — think Vietnam — and it was ugly. “Militarizing development is not the answer,” Nesbitt writes in our new Empire Strategic Focus. “The prudent direction would be to divorce development assistance from defense and invest resources in building relations with nongovernmental and civil society organizations instead of militaries. The United States would have a more positive impact if it focused on supporting the institutionalization of conflict resolution processes in multilateral organizations such as the United Nations.”

    If history is any judge, empires are most dangerous when they are on the decline. Just as the Ottomans, the Austro-Hungarians, and the Russians indulged in various stupidities to preserve their empires at the beginning of the 20th century, the United States may go to similarly tragic lengths to maintain its position at the beginning of the 21st. The Iraq War debacle, which “humbled” Kaplan, may well have been the beginning of the end. The continuing Afghanistan misadventure is another sign of the insanity that the gods have inflicted on those they intend to destroy.

    But the naval confrontation in the South China Sea could be the most dangerous indication of them all. For all their senseless violence, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan remain regional wars. A confrontation between China and the United States, however unlikely it might seem given the economic interdependence of the two countries, would necessarily be global. Let’s hope that these two imperial boats passing in the night manage to negotiate an equitable distribution of global power with more aplomb than they showed earlier this month.

    Before the Chinese show up off the coast of California for some imperial quid pro quo, the United States should wake up, sign the Law of the Sea, and actually abide by its provisions. Now that would be a sea change.

    Emphases mine.

    Reply
  11. VeerLeft
    Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    Yes Billy Joe. He actually did fly upside down on the Ep3. They knew him by NAME… they had video of him etc.
    On the day in question he was on his best behavior and was merely his superior officers wingman. When the EP3 banked to follow the lead fighter escort out of ‘Chinese Airspace’, Wang Wei was under the wing.
    The story gets crazier from there. If you believe the official version (which saves face for China, who in turn didn’t make a huge stink over the plane) then you are just one more sheep.

    Reply
  12. Bob Tallon
    Friday, March 27, 2009 at 11:03 am

    We are use to ruling the roost but there are some strong up and comers. China sailors mooning the American navy ship are just saying ( you are not the big shots you used to be) . We are bailing out your sick corrupt economy. They own us in a big way now and know it. So they are just flexing their muscles the way we do. Do un to others as you would to yourself. The ugly american corporate community that has been our real outreach program that represent us to the world is getting some pay back.

    Reply
    • Tommy
      Friday, March 27, 2009 at 4:57 pm

      Ha ha ha, which world are you living on?
      And I dont think Chinese people should really be saying “Do un to others as you would to yourself.”
      At least show the world you are improving human rights before spouting that shit.

      Reply
  13. mandrake
    Friday, March 27, 2009 at 2:43 pm

    stupid chinese people,
    instead bullshit here, go to the square an protest again the censorship.
    you know what happened because you read chinese, how about the one the can not

    chinese government close youtube and you havent sayed a word!

    Reply
  14. DaTa79
    Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 12:46 pm

    1-Why must humans bicker about land, sea, and water?

    2-What good does war and pride for national power do good to the world?

    3-Are we all becoming obsessive beasts of greed?

    4-What good will human blood do when it stains the earth itself with scars from the agony made from war?

    5-What is man’s duty to protect his own kind?

    6-Will we all destroy ourselves?

    7-When does one know when it is its time to do its duty and meet its responsibility?

    8-What does our instinct tell us to do if the earth was covered in radiation and plague

    Answer these questions and you will find a greater chance in finding what you really feel about this event

    Reply
  15. Christian in China
    Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    And Jesus said,
    “Go out in the world and become fishers of men…”
    and that is exactly what the Chinese did.

    Reply
  16. Mao Tse Tung
    Monday, July 27, 2009 at 3:29 am

    Hey, Han Chinese guys,

    Don’t you remember the history of Korean war? I hope you guys can learn something from this near modern world history. Han Chinese is greedy for power but of course they will be buried soon in the war. I want to warn you directly.

    Mao

    Reply
  17. Wang Laoshi (WESTCOASTGZ)
    Friday, August 14, 2009 at 11:46 am

    Let’s face fact: China goes to war with the US, China doesn’t hold a chance.
    It says in an article somewhere, it would take all the nations in the world to team-up to MAYBE beat the US.
    Unfortunately, America will fall from the inside…

    Reply
    • MAOCUNT
      Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 12:11 pm

      Over exageration of US military power. It prob just take the EU and Russia to team up to take out America (again it wont happen in the near future). As for China, it’s really not that strong even it looks so threatening, not saying their soldiers aren’t brave or tough or anything, the problem is their military doctrine. They are still thinking of building battleships (Which is felt out of disused after ww2), building better tanks (after the first gulf war, its proven tanks is gonna be obsolete soon enough) and so forth. Oh also a pt of intrest, Mao’s grandson is pretty high rank up the PLA army in terms of the doctrine department, and some of the theories and beliefs he come up with is “Mao Tse Tung, my grandpa’s long march change ww2 and defeat Japanese”

      Reply
      • Wang Er
        Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 12:32 pm

        Haven’t heard about Unrestricted Warfare? The threat of PLA comes from its secrecy that you will probably never know what military doctrine they really rely on. As Tsunzi said,

        “War is all about deception.”

        Reply
        • MAOCUNT
          Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 12:29 am

          With the widespread corruption in the PLA officer ranks, that is very unlikely. Every few months, you get colonals and minor generals getting sacked for corruption and incompetence, that tells you alot about the quality of the army. And China was indeed planning to build a battleship, and you dont plan such things for deception. When boosting about china, Communist party just noe how to exagerate instead of covering. It cost money. Btw, Chinese self made fighters, the best one they have can only match the F-14, the americans are alrdy using f-18 and f-22, and possibly building better ones in the future.

          Reply
  18. bob tallon
    Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 10:50 pm

    Good points Maocunt. Nice handle you got going. The one great thing we got going for us as far as ever being attacked by land force is we are estentially a big Island.
    Unless you want to walk across the North pole or swim across oceans undetected it would be very unlikely a large land army could ever invade us. But missiles could take out our cites. The whole war thing is so used as a threat and manipulation tool by so many corporations and governments around the world. I like Teddy Roosevelt’s old axiom Walk Softly but carry a Big Stick.

    Reply
    • MAOCUNT
      Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 12:42 am

      Ya, with china’s second rate naval power, it is impossible for them to launch invasion toward U.S in the near future. Even WW2 Japan with one of the best navy of the world in ww2 dun even think about a mass invasion on U.S mainland. It is just strategically improable. But again, geographically and strategically, China’s biggest enemy is Russia and India not USA. Those nations are the nations that are trying to lay claimed to territories that PRC claim as their own. Especially India who pretty much put China as their nemisis in their military doctrine. For now, its stupid for china to target the USA as their enemy, afterall it is their greatest economical partner (though they compete as well), and their main feuds are simply ideological issues. (and honestly, it will do better good for China to change anyways, the CCP is simply holding the whole country back by acting stupid and telling his citizens to follow suit)

      Reply
  19. Taiwanistan
    Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 11:23 pm

    “The Chinese sailors stripped down to their underwear and their vessel closed in to within 25 feet of the American ship”…the reconnaissance mission was complete;Chinese men really do have tiny little penises.

    Reply
  20. Ammon
    Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 2:09 am

    CHINA SEA IS NOT JUST FOR CHINA! OK?
    PLEASE LOOK AT THE GLOBAL MAP!
    LOOK CLOSELY IT HAS ITS NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.

    WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER!!
    SO YOU PEOPLE GET YOUR OWN LIVES AND MAKE BETTER FUTURE FOR HUMANITY AND FOR OUR WORLD!

    I’m a Chinese too! but get off your EGOS we can’t win in war! because no one have really won in battle! it just killed lots of people.

    Lets make our Planet much better to live so in the future we can gain respect in other life forms. we are not alone in the universe!

    get off your EGO! people should live peacefully!

    Reply
  21. 愛女者
    Monday, April 23, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    中國面対著這种情况下,應該給這個菲律賓仔點臉色看看，中國太弱了！

    Reply
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