Chinese General: Military Will Handle Threats to ‘China’s Sovereignty’ in South China Sea

The head of China’s military operations in the South China Sea threatened this weekend to use force to “deal with any security threat” in the region, asserting that “China’s sovereignty” in the region — highly disputed by its neighbors — was worth deploying the military.

General Wang Jiaocheng, who runs the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, told reporters his soldiers were ready to respond to any “threat” in the region. “The military will be capable of dealing with any security threat. No country will be allowed to use any excuse or action to threaten China’s sovereignty and safety,” he said, adding that “maritime defense” was paramount for the military in his region. “The foremost mission is to safeguard rights and interests in the South China Sea,” he noted.

China claims most of the South China Sea, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi asserting during a joint press conference with American Secretary of State John Kerry that “the islands in the South China Sea have been China’s territory since ancient times,” and Beijing has no intention of addressing any challenging claims. There is no international legal precedent for China’s claims, however, and the nations of Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei. Malaysia, and Taiwan all dispute China’s claims.

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