2016年CRI China's Construction in South China Sea Often Misunderstood: Scholar

 

Dr. Greg Austin is a fellow at the EastWest Institute in New York, and currently a visiting professor of international policy at the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia. 

Dr. Austin says he doesn't see China's moves in the region as a threat to international freedom of navigation.

"Some people say that China represents a threat to shipping¹, to commercial shipping, through the South China Sea, and they get very nervous about this. But that too is an exaggerated threat: China does not represent a threat to shipping in the South China Sea; in fact, over half of the shipping in the South China Sea goes to and from China."

Waters surrounding the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea are filled with busy shipping lanes and fishing activity.

Nearly 40 percent of global trade is carried through the waters, which see the passage of at least 40,000 ships annually².

Despite the significant role it plays, the security situation in the South China Sea is complicated. 

This is partially³ reflected during the global search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in March 2014 as problems including lack of infrastructure⁴, weak rescue forces, and insufficient⁵ public services in the area undermined the timeliness of the emergency response and assistance.

China started to build lighthouses on Huayang and Chigua reefs, which went into operation in October 2015, and has finished building an airfield⁶ on Yongshu Jiao on the Nansha Islands.

Dr. Austin says these moves are within China's sovereignty.

"China's motivations for its activities in the South China Sea relate to the defense⁷ of its claims to sovereignty of the Nansha islands. And what is very clear is that the Republic of China before 1949 and then, after 1949, the People's Republic of China did exercise some sort of administrative⁸ action and claim in respect of those islands."

Dr. Autsin says China should now work more closely with ASEAN countries to remove the misunderstanding and find longer-term solutions, while at the same time intervention⁹ from the outside should be prevented.

"I think there's a good chance that it will defuse the tension and eliminate the excuse for the sorts of intervention. And I think it's really within China's capability¹⁰ to be more creative in the South China Sea and bring these countries close together to prevent the external intervention."

For CRI, this is Min Rui.

1 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

2 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

3 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

6 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

9 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

10 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。