By Wu Shicun
On April 10, the US guided-missile destroyer USS Milius illegally trespassed into the waters adjacent to the Meiji Reef of China's Nansha Islands without approval of the Chinese government. And on March 23 to 24, this same destroyer intruded into territorial waters off China's Xisha Islands twice on two consecutive days.
4月10日，美“米利厄斯”号导弹驱逐舰未经中国政府批准，非法闯入中国南沙美济礁邻近海域；不久前的3月23-24日，也就是这艘“米利厄斯”号连续两天两次未经允许非法闯入中国西沙群岛领海。
The recent US provocative "Freedom of Navigation" operations represent only the tip of iceberg for its military actions in the South China Sea, but speak volumes for its untouched persistent Asian-Pacific strategy in spite of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. US-manipulated militarization of the South China Sea characterized by forward force deployment and opposition against China will be the strongest disruptive factor for regional stability.
近期发生的美国挑衅性的航行自由行动，虽然只是美国在南海军事活动的冰山一角，但足以表明美国对亚太地区的持久战略投入并未因俄乌冲突而发生转移。美国以前沿力量部署为特征和以中国为敌的“南海军事化”，将是阻碍南海形势趋稳向好的最大破坏性因素。
Since 2012, the US has conducted a number of military operations in the South China Sea, including building military base groups in the Philippines, continuously holding military drills through surface and underwater ship deployment, implementing so-called "freedom of navigation and overflight” actions, and close-in reconnaissance. US' military presence in the South China Sea has reached a peak after the Cold War, and still shows a rising tendency. According to preliminary statistics, bilateral and multilateral joint military exercises launched by the US in the South China Sea and surrounding sea areas amounted to 48 in 2022, while the number was 19, 29 and 33 respectively in 2016, 2017 and 2020.
自2012年以来，美国从在菲律宾修建军事基地群到部署水面和水下舰艇连续开展军事演习、实施航行和飞越自由、抵近侦察等军事行动，美国在南海的军事存在已经达到了冷战结束以来的“峰值”，而且呈现出不断上升的趋势。据初步统计，美军在南海及周边海域的双边和多边联合军事演习，已从2016年的19次、2017年29次和2020年33次，增加到了2022年的48次。
The US, on the one hand, alleged to keep neutral around the conflicts related to the South China Sea, and accused China of coercing neighboring countries through the "gray zone strategy". However, on the other hand, it utilizes such a strategy to take side and totally deny and oppose the claim and right of China.
令人诧异和费解的是，美国一方面声称自身在南海有关争议上不持立场，指责中国采取“灰色地带战略”胁迫周边国家；另一方面又以“选边站”为导向，运用“灰色地带战略”全面否定和对抗中国的权利主张。
It's worth noting that the US is sparing no effort to carry out its "gray zone" strategy in the South China Sea, from cognitive warfare, legal warfare and public opinion warfare to joint maritime patrols. In May 2022, on the pretext of "striking illegal fishing operations", the US plotted a maritime intelligence acquisition and collection platform in waters of Indian Ocean, South China Sea and South Pacific Ocean, dominating a new maritime and air intelligence gathering system customized for China.
值得警觉的是，美国从认知战、法理战到舆论战再到海上联合巡逻，其在南海的“灰色地带战略”可谓无所不用其极。2022年5月，美国试图以“打击非法渔业活动”为名，在印度洋、南海、南太平洋海域构建海洋信息情报获取和搜集平台，为中国“量身定制”由其主导的新海空情报收集系统。
In addition, the US-dominated militarization of the South China Sea also leads to new camp and bloc confrontations in the regional security structure and geopolitical pattern. Since 2017, the US has attempted to build "US-Japan Plus", "US-Philippine Plus" and other "bilateral plus" or "mini-multilateral" security cooperation network around the South China Sea and waters around China.
此外，美国主导的南海军事化也使得南海地区的安全架构出现“阵营化”和地缘政治格局“集团化”的新特征。2017年以来，美国试图围绕南海及中国周边海域打造“美日+”“美菲+”等“双边+” “小多边”安全合作网络。
The escalating geopolitical game between the US and China, more blurred situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and elevated infringement and expansion impulses of claimant countries concerning the South China Sea issue, have brought more uncertainties to the security situation in this area, and there may be a seesaw battle between the positive peace-keeping forces and negative peace-breaking forces.
伴随着中美地缘政治博弈进一步加剧、俄乌冲突更加扑簌迷离，部分南海声索国侵权扩权的冲动上升，南海安全形势的不确定性增加，维护和平稳定的积极力量与破坏和平稳定的消极因素可能出现此消彼长。
As a main initiator and participant in the construction of international order after WWII, the US has the duty and responsibility to promote peace and stability in the South China Sea, inject positive energy and play a constructive role in maintaining the existing order of this region.
美国作为二战后国际秩序构建的主要倡导者和参与者，有义务和责任多做有利于南海和平稳定的事，为维护现行南海秩序提供正能量，并发挥建设性作用。
First, the US should strive to settle China-US divergences around the South China Sea issue by diplomatic means. Military presence expansion will do nothing good for regional peace and stability, but intensify China-US interest conflicts, and even force other surrounding countries to take side.
第一，美国应该致力于通过外交手段处理中美南海分歧，增加南海的前沿军事存在不仅无助于南海的和平稳定，而且还会加剧中美利益冲突的对抗性，甚至还会使一些南海周边国家面临选边站的困境。
Second, the US should stop building up military base construction and force deployment targeting China. Its military base expansion in the Philippines will only aggravate the instability in the South China Sea, and draw the Philippines into the swirls of great power competition and China-US conflicts.
第二，美国应该停止强化针对中国的军事基地建设和力量部署。特别是在菲律宾增加军事基地的行动，只会加剧南海形势更加动荡不安，也会使菲律宾进一步卷入大国竞争和中美安全对抗的漩涡。
Third, the US should reduce and stop military and paramilitary actions targeting China. Cooperation and real multilateralism are the only way to achieve absolute security, which is the universal consensus of academics in the two countries and the international community. The US should reduce so-called "freedom of navigation" operations, close-in reconnaissance, joint patrol, coast guarding activities, as well as bilateral and multilateral military exercises targeting China in this area.
第三，美国应减少并停止针对中国的军事和“准军事”行动。合作和真正的多边主义才是实现绝对安全的唯一选择，这是中美两国学术界乃至整个国际社会的普遍共识。美国应该减少而不是增加在南海针对中国的所谓“航行自由”行动、抵近侦察、联合巡逻、海岸警卫队活动，以及双边和多边军事演习。
Fourth, the US should stop hyping the award of South China Sea arbitration, and practice restraint in diplomatic and legal actions on the basis of this arbitration. Evidence has proven that the South China Sea arbitration initiated by the Philippines under the US manipulation goes against the settlement of China-Philippine maritime disputes, and brings about haunted negative influences to China-Philippine relations and maritime situations. If the US wants to prove it is not a "troublemaker" in the South China Sea, it should stop conducting so-called "freedom of navigation" operations, stop releasing "Limits in the Seas" report or partisan government statement, and stop hyping up the award of South China Sea arbitration.
第四，美国应该停止炒作“南海仲裁案裁决”，对基于裁决的外交和法律行动保持克制。事实已经证明，美国在幕后一手操纵的菲律宾南海仲裁案不仅无助于中菲海上争议的解决，还给中菲关系及海上形势造成了“挥之不去”的负面影响。停止以所谓“航行自由行动”、发布涉南海海洋界限报告、发表以“选边站”为特征的政府声明以炒作仲裁裁决，是美国在南海地区证明自己非“麻烦制造者”的唯一选择。
Fifth, the US should stop sending false and misleading signals to the Philippines to prevent this country from taking risks in island control and construction. The US-Philippine alliance does not simply lie in pursuit of security for itself and its allies, or even sacrifice of security and stability of other countries.
第五，美国应该停止向菲律宾发出错误和误导性信号，避免菲方铤而走险在岛礁控制和建设上采取冒险行动。美菲同盟的意义不应只是单方面追求美国及其盟国的安全，甚至将其自身的安全建立在别国的不安全和地区不稳定的基础之上。
Sixth, it should stop disturbing and interfering negotiation of the Code of Conduct directly or indirectly, and support China and ASEAN countries' efforts in the construction of rules and orders of the South China Sea. The existing outcome and early harvest of the code negotiation were hard won, and consistent hype of the arbitration award and dirt-dishing on the negotiation will only hinder the maritime cooperation under the framework of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and bring in more uncertainties to the negotiation.
第六，美国应该停止直接或通过代理人干扰和介入“行为准则”磋商，支持中国与东盟国家构建南海规则秩序建设而付出的努力。“准则”磋商的已有成果和早期收获来之不易，继续炒作仲裁裁决和对“准则”磋商说三道四不仅无助于的《宣言》框架下的海上合作的推进，也将会给“准则”磋商增添变数。
As the security situation in the South China Sea is getting increasingly severe, countries in this region know well who the defender of peace and stability is, and who the troublemaker is.
南海安全形势将日益严峻，地区国家心里都有一本账：谁是南海和平稳定的捍卫者？谁是地区安全的麻烦制造者？
(The author is the chairman of Huayang Research Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, chairman of the Board of the China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea, and a chair professor of Xiamen University)
（作者吴士存，华阳海洋研究中心理事长，中国-东南亚南海研究中心理事会主席，厦门大学讲席教授。）
Editor's note: Originally published on guancha.cn, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
