Waves in the South China Sea are getting higher

Anotace: For almost two months, a Chinese research chip has been conducting survey activities without permission in the Vietnamese Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), an action condemned by Vietnam, the U.S., Australia, Japan, India, and the E3 (France, Germany, and the U.K.) Currently, the ship is about 150km southeast of the Vietnamese coast. Hanoi has asked China to immediately withdraw, but China insists the ship is in Chinese jurisdictional waters. Washington uses the word “bullying” – using brute force or strength to hurt or frighten someone who is weaker – to describe China’s actions against Vietnam and other Asian countries. In fact, the power gap between China and other countries has been widening, as Chinese leadership becomes increasingly confident that it can dominate the South China Sea as a “China Lake” through its expanding military and economic influence, and amid increasing doubt about American commitment to regional security.