China risks a dangerous escalation in SCS: US daily
July 15, 2016 02:46
China risks a dangerous escalation unless it stops construction in South China Sea, a leading American daily warned on Thursday after Beijing rejected a United Nations-backed tribunal's ruling that struck down Beijing's claims over the disputed areas.
"It is a major blow to (Chinese President) Xi's (Jinping) attempt to establish Chinese hegemony in the region and presents him with a fateful choice: embark on a dangerous escalation, or slowly and quietly back down," The Washington Post said in a lead editorial.
Noting that Chinas communist regime is reacting with rhetorical frenzy to the ruling by an international tribunal rejecting its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, The Washington Post said Beijings insistence that the court decision is "invalid and has no binding force" only goes so far.
"The Philippines sued under the Law of the Sea treaty, which China has ratified. That means the decision is legally binding whether Xi recognises it or not," The Post said.
"Nations far beyond Asia will watch to see if the rising superpower violates a treaty it agreed to be bound by. If it does, the damage to Chinas international standing and influence could prove considerably greater than whatever it might gain from fortifying a few coral reefs," it opined.
The Washington Post warned that the United States must be prepared for the possibility that Xi will double down on his adventurism, perhaps hoping to take advantage of a president in his last months of office who has responded weakly to red-line crossings in other parts of the world.
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