China voices concern over S. Korea-U.S. naval drill

By Kim Young-gyo
HONG KONG, June 28 (Yonhap) -- China is concerned about a planned South
Korea-U.S. naval exercise on the West Sea as it may pose a threat to Beijing's
defense, a Chinese newspaper reported Monday.
Seoul and Washington have announced they will stage the joint anti-submarine
exercise in early July in waters off South Korea's west coast amid a tense
showdown with North Korea over the sinking of a warship from the South.
South Korea and the U.S. accused North Korea of sinking the 1,200-ton corvette
Cheonan with a torpedo near the inter-Korean maritime border on the West Sea on
March 26, killing 46 sailors on board. They are pushing for U.N. sanctions
against the communist country, which denies responsibility for the sinking,
"(The joint drill) would risk challenging China's strategic bottom line and its
coastal defense," the English-language Global Times said, quoting Chinese
military strategists.
The West Sea is situated between the Korean Peninsula and China. Some of China's
naval and air bases are located on the Shandong Peninsula. Joint naval drills
between South Korea and the United States usually take place off South Korea's
east coast.
"The joint exercise is mainly aimed at deterring North Korea, but the U.S. should
consider the interests of concerned countries as the drill is conducted in
sensitive waters," the newspaper quoted Li Daguang of China's National Defense
University as saying.
The Global Times also introduced a suggestion by Chen Hu, chief editor for World
Military Affairs magazine, who argued that China should make a military response
and hold exercises in the same waters if the joint naval exercises take place.
Meanwhile, Xue Litai, a Stanford University researcher, said the drill will pose
no threat to China's security, saying China does not need to overreact.
"After all, resorting to a large-scale war is not the current intention of the
U.S. as the Western countries simply cannot afford it," said Xue in a column
written for the Hong Kong Economic Journal.
"If it were not for the emergency situation such as the Cheonan sinking, the U.S.
and its ally would not think of carrying out drills at such a sensitive area,"
Xue said.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
(END)

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