In response to U.S. Defense Secretary Carter’s demand that China stop building islands in the South China Sea and his announcement that U.S. warships and planes will continue to patrol that area, the Global Times published an article with ten questions that Luo Yuan, a PLA Major General, would ask Carter.
1. Since war is the continuation of politics, has the South China Sea political game come to the point where the U.S. and China must now have a hard clash with each other? Since the U.S. suffers no fundamental damage to its core interests in the South China Sea, why does the U.S. want to sacrifice her own soldiers for another country?
2. If indeed there is a fight, is the U.S. absolutely sure that it will win?
3. Even if the U.S. wins an accidental fight, is it prepared for the escalation and a long-term war, if China does not want to accept the loss?
4. The battle between China and the U.S. will mean the world order needs to be rebalanced. Is the U.S. ready for that?
5. Is it beneficial to the U.S.’ national interest to change the Sino-U.S. relationship from cooperation to confrontation?
6. The economic interests of China and the U.S. have been tightly woven together. To hurt China is to hurt the U.S. Also, China has more economic cards than the U.S.
7. If there is a conflict between China and the U.S., the Chinese people will have a strong anti-U.S. sentiment.
8. Japan expanded its islands in the East Sea and some other countries changed the islands in the South China Sea. Why didn’t the U.S. ask them to stop?
9. The Asia-Pacific region is the world’s economic growth engine. If there is turmoil, is it a good thing for the world and for the U.S.?
10. On the U.S. strategic balance, which one is heavier – China or some small countries that only care about their own interests and fight for nonsense?
"The above [questions] are not threats, but kind reminders. They are the logical consequences of Carter’s hard words. The U.S. is a practical country. We hope it will think twice before taking any action."
Source: Global Times Online, June 1, 2015
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/opinion_world/2015-06/6559888.html