Editorials

Delayed tension

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-07-22 07:53

Strong opposition from China may have, for now, made Washington and Seoul start Sunday its joint naval exercises from the Sea of Japan instead of holding it as planned from the Yellow Sea.

But the US and the Republic of Korea have not ruled out the presence of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington near China's east coast and similar joint drills on the Yellow Sea at an unspecified date in future.

Related readings:  US-ROK drill in Yellow Sea 'by early Sept'  USS George Washington arrives in Busan for US-ROK drill  US-ROK drill in Sea of Japan

If so, justified public and government resentment at the proposal will only intensify in the days ahead, especially so if a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier takes part.

The hasty move may be a sensible decision on the part of the US and ROK, and will, temporarily at least, ease tensions with Beijing. In fact, China's foreign ministry has over the past month repeatedly used strong language to express its displeasure at the security-related developments.

The war of words between the two sides may go quiet for sometime, but is certain to turn shrill if any sort of foreign joint military presence on the Yellow Sea is even hinted at in the course of the coming months. Chinese citizens will most definitely consider that as open defiance at the country's doorsteps aimed at threatening national security.

Any such flexing of military muscle is also likely to imperil regional peace and stability, what with the fragile security situation on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of the Cheonan ship sinking incident in March.

It is imperative that the concerned parties exercise restraint and refrain from any provocative action. Otherwise, no country will emerge a winner in case the situation on the Peninsula gets worse.

(China Daily 07/22/2010 page8)