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Welcome to the official home and wonderful world of Pulitzer Prize Winning Political Cartoonist Michael P. Ramirez, daily editorial cartoonist for the Las Vegas Review Journal |
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China ends Hong Kong’s freedom.
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On Point: The Hague's 2016 Verdict Exposed Communist China's Predatory War on World Order
by Austin Bay July 14, 2020. STRATEGY PAGE
Four years ago this week, the Chinese Communist Party declared war on international order in the form of a blunt rejection.
On July 12, 2016, The Hague's international arbitral tribunal, relying on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty (UNCLOS), issued a ruling supporting the Philippines' claims that China had violated Filipino territory in the South China Sea by seizing islets and "sea features." China had also plundered resources in the Philippines' maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Despite having signed the sea treaty (which meant accepting the arbitration process), the Chinese government callously ignored the verdict and disdained the court's authority.
UNCLOS codified the geophysical conditions and legal precedents establishing sovereign control of territorial waters and sovereign rights in the EEZ. It is an example of practical, peace-promoting diplomacy.
China's blunt rejection of the decision stunned the Filipino government and alerted other nations on the Pacific Rim. The Beijing regime not only broke a major treaty it had ratified but also openly maligned legal procedures created to promote peaceful resolution of international disputes. Beijing's thuggish rebuke sent the message that Chinese whim backed by China's enormous military and economic power determined sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Chinese communist predatory behavior long predates 2016, but in retrospect, Beijing's appalling reaction to the ruling clearly demonstrated the CCP could not be trusted to abide by even the most meticulously negotiated treaty. The CCP's June 2020 decision to break the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 and impose its authoritarian laws on Hong Kong reinforced the ugly lesson that treaties with communist China do not protect smaller nations and territories from Chinese theft and absorption.
Reneging on treaties, spurning just verdicts and, of course, seizing territory without suffering severe consequences tells China's leaders that its opponents are weak and lack the will to resist. Undermining, co-opting and ultimately dominating global diplomatic and economic institutions; public and private organizations; and methods of interaction is another CCP goal. Revealing weakness forwards this line of operation.
For decades, the U.S. Navy has conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS). During a FONOP, a Navy vessel enters contested waters and demonstrates American opposition to maritime territorial claims that intrude on international shipping lanes. In 2015, the U.S. began regular FONOPS specifically challenging China's spurious claims in the South China Sea.
In 2016, the U.S. limited its response to China's rejection of the tribunal ruling. Washington strongly criticized China's mistreatment of the Philippines, encouraged diplomatic and defense cooperation among southeast Asian nations, and continued the FONOPS, but it avoided a direct, "great power" diplomatic confrontation with Beijing.
The Hong Kong invasion, China's cyber hacking, China's pervasive espionage operations and its duplicity regarding the COVID-19/Wuhan virus pandemic have finally convinced senior American leaders that a CCP-led China only respects power, and only greater power can deter its ambitions.
On July 13, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a "strengthened" U.S. policy in the South China Sea that specifically aligns American policy with the tribunal's decision. "Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them," Pompeo said. "(W)e seek to preserve peace and stability, uphold freedom of the seas in a manner consistent with international law, maintain the unimpeded flow of commerce, and oppose any attempt to use coercion or force to settle disputes." read more
by Austin Bay July 14, 2020. STRATEGY PAGE
Four years ago this week, the Chinese Communist Party declared war on international order in the form of a blunt rejection.
On July 12, 2016, The Hague's international arbitral tribunal, relying on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea treaty (UNCLOS), issued a ruling supporting the Philippines' claims that China had violated Filipino territory in the South China Sea by seizing islets and "sea features." China had also plundered resources in the Philippines' maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Despite having signed the sea treaty (which meant accepting the arbitration process), the Chinese government callously ignored the verdict and disdained the court's authority.
UNCLOS codified the geophysical conditions and legal precedents establishing sovereign control of territorial waters and sovereign rights in the EEZ. It is an example of practical, peace-promoting diplomacy.
China's blunt rejection of the decision stunned the Filipino government and alerted other nations on the Pacific Rim. The Beijing regime not only broke a major treaty it had ratified but also openly maligned legal procedures created to promote peaceful resolution of international disputes. Beijing's thuggish rebuke sent the message that Chinese whim backed by China's enormous military and economic power determined sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Chinese communist predatory behavior long predates 2016, but in retrospect, Beijing's appalling reaction to the ruling clearly demonstrated the CCP could not be trusted to abide by even the most meticulously negotiated treaty. The CCP's June 2020 decision to break the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 and impose its authoritarian laws on Hong Kong reinforced the ugly lesson that treaties with communist China do not protect smaller nations and territories from Chinese theft and absorption.
Reneging on treaties, spurning just verdicts and, of course, seizing territory without suffering severe consequences tells China's leaders that its opponents are weak and lack the will to resist. Undermining, co-opting and ultimately dominating global diplomatic and economic institutions; public and private organizations; and methods of interaction is another CCP goal. Revealing weakness forwards this line of operation.
For decades, the U.S. Navy has conducted Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS). During a FONOP, a Navy vessel enters contested waters and demonstrates American opposition to maritime territorial claims that intrude on international shipping lanes. In 2015, the U.S. began regular FONOPS specifically challenging China's spurious claims in the South China Sea.
In 2016, the U.S. limited its response to China's rejection of the tribunal ruling. Washington strongly criticized China's mistreatment of the Philippines, encouraged diplomatic and defense cooperation among southeast Asian nations, and continued the FONOPS, but it avoided a direct, "great power" diplomatic confrontation with Beijing.
The Hong Kong invasion, China's cyber hacking, China's pervasive espionage operations and its duplicity regarding the COVID-19/Wuhan virus pandemic have finally convinced senior American leaders that a CCP-led China only respects power, and only greater power can deter its ambitions.
On July 13, 2020, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced a "strengthened" U.S. policy in the South China Sea that specifically aligns American policy with the tribunal's decision. "Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them," Pompeo said. "(W)e seek to preserve peace and stability, uphold freedom of the seas in a manner consistent with international law, maintain the unimpeded flow of commerce, and oppose any attempt to use coercion or force to settle disputes." read more
EXCLUSIVE: Student says university imposed 'Soviet-style' punishment over his Instagram posts
Margaret Beste Michigan Campus Correspondent on Jul 16, 2020 at 12:22 AM EDT CAMPUS REFORM
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A rising senior at Fordham University has provided Campus Reform with letters he allegedly received from the school's dean of students notifying him that two of his posts shared on his personal social media violated the university's student conduct code and that he has been placed on probation as a result.
Austin Tong provided Campus Reform with two letters he said he received from Fordham University Dean of Students Keith Eldredge. The first letter, dated June 8, allegedly informed Tong that the university had launched an investigation to determine whether two of his Instagram posts violated university policy.
"I hope to use my punishment as a milestone and reflection of the constitutional crisis we are facing today as a society." Tweet This
The first post, shared on Tong's personal Instagram account on June 3, shows a picture of David Dorn, the retired African-American police captain who was fatally shot while defending a friend’s pawn shop amid violent protests in St. Louis, and includes the caption, “Y’all a bunch of hypocrites.”
When asked about his motivations behind the post, Tong told Campus Reform, “I expressed my disappointment in people that did not care about the death of a Black policeman, something which never should’ve happened.”
In a letter to Fordham, Tong said he further explained his position stating, “I believe that Black Lives Matter means that all Black Lives matter, including the lost life of a patriotic police officer that dedicated his life to his family and country This post was not only expressive of my remorse that a police officer’s life was lost, but also to reaffirm my belief that the lives of everyone matter."
Tong's post came just days after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed in police custody in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests and riots.
Tong's second post shows him holding a firearm, which he says he purchased legally, pointed toward the ground. The post contains the caption, “Don’t tread on me. #198964.” The hashtag references the Tiananmen Square Incident, which occurred on June 4, 1989. read more
Margaret Beste Michigan Campus Correspondent on Jul 16, 2020 at 12:22 AM EDT CAMPUS REFORM
FacebookTwitterEmailMore584
- Fordham University student Austin Tong says he received a letter stating that Instagram posts he shared violated university policy.
- One of the posts in question was of the black former police captain killed amid nationwide riots.
- The other post showed Tong holding a rifle pointed the ground.
A rising senior at Fordham University has provided Campus Reform with letters he allegedly received from the school's dean of students notifying him that two of his posts shared on his personal social media violated the university's student conduct code and that he has been placed on probation as a result.
Austin Tong provided Campus Reform with two letters he said he received from Fordham University Dean of Students Keith Eldredge. The first letter, dated June 8, allegedly informed Tong that the university had launched an investigation to determine whether two of his Instagram posts violated university policy.
"I hope to use my punishment as a milestone and reflection of the constitutional crisis we are facing today as a society." Tweet This
The first post, shared on Tong's personal Instagram account on June 3, shows a picture of David Dorn, the retired African-American police captain who was fatally shot while defending a friend’s pawn shop amid violent protests in St. Louis, and includes the caption, “Y’all a bunch of hypocrites.”
When asked about his motivations behind the post, Tong told Campus Reform, “I expressed my disappointment in people that did not care about the death of a Black policeman, something which never should’ve happened.”
In a letter to Fordham, Tong said he further explained his position stating, “I believe that Black Lives Matter means that all Black Lives matter, including the lost life of a patriotic police officer that dedicated his life to his family and country This post was not only expressive of my remorse that a police officer’s life was lost, but also to reaffirm my belief that the lives of everyone matter."
Tong's post came just days after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed in police custody in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests and riots.
Tong's second post shows him holding a firearm, which he says he purchased legally, pointed toward the ground. The post contains the caption, “Don’t tread on me. #198964.” The hashtag references the Tiananmen Square Incident, which occurred on June 4, 1989. read more
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Whiskey Politics with Dave Sussman
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