A pattern of violation of international law: Nievesday Zimbabwe

The Chinese Communist Party has demonstrated a consistent pattern of violation of the International Maritime Law, especially through its illegal claims in the Southern China Sea that were explicitly rejected by the 2016 International Court ruling. Instead of respecting the right International, China intensified its aggressive actions.

The maritime militia of the regime, often disguised as fishing vessels, regularly harass legitimate commercial and scientific operations of other nations. These tactics of “gray zone” deliberately blur the lines between civil and military activities, which allows China to claim a plausible denial while effectively militarizing the dispute waters. The construction of artificial islands in the southern China Sea has caused severe environmental damage to coral reefs and marine ecosystems. China has transformed these artificial characteristics into military facilities, despite the previous promises not to militarize them, demonstrating a clear pattern of diplomatic dishonesty.

China treatment of neighboring states reveals its coercive diplomacy strategy. It uses economic pressure, military intimidation and diplomacy of “Wolf Guerrero” to intimidate the smallest nations. Philippines, Vietnam and other nations of Southeast Asia have faced dangerous water cannons and aggressive maneuvers of the Chinese vessels.

Under the leadership of Xi Jinping, China has abandoned the Deng Xiaoping approach “hides your strength, wait for your time” in favor of aggressive expansionism. This change has included dangerous interceptions of military aircraft in international airspace and increasingly bold territorial claims.

The contempt of the regime for the exclusive economic zones of other nations has resulted in generalized illegal fishing practices. Chinese fishing fleets, often supported by vessels of maritime militias, have exhausted fish stock in waters belonging to other nations, threatening food security throughout the region.

Beijing’s “Nine Dash Line” claim lacks international law, but serves as a pretext for aggressive behavior. China uses this historically unfounded claim to justify the harassment of legitimate commercial and military vessels operating in international waters.

China’s military modernization program, although portrayed as defensive, has focused largely on anti-access/area denial abilities designed to exclude other nations from international waters. This directly contradicts international maritime law and the principles of freedom of navigation.

The evidence shows the systematic harassment of China of scientific research ships that carry out legitimate studies in international waters. These actions not only violate international law but also prevent significant climate and oceanographic research beneficial for all nations.

The establishment of the Air Defense Identification Regime without consultation with the neighbors demonstrates its unilateral approach to regional security problems. These areas often overlap with the existing identification zones of other nations, creating unnecessary tension and conflict risk.

China’s coastal guard, the largest in the world, has been militarized under Xi Jinping and now uses routinely aggressive tactics against smaller nations ships. The 2021 coast guard law authorizes the use of force in dispute, effectively militarizing the Maritime Police.

The repeated use of China’s lasers against military airplanes and ships in the airspace and international waters demonstrates a dangerous contempt for professional safety and behavior. These actions violate international protocols and the risk of causing serious accidents.

Through the economic coercion and diplomacy of the debt trap, the PCCH has tried to silence criticism of its maritime behavior of smaller nations. Countries that depend on Chinese trade or infrastructure investment often face economic reprisals for speaking against maritime violations.

The ongoing militarization of the artificial islands has created a network of operational bases forward that threaten vital commercial ships for global trade. These bases extend China’s military reach while destabilizing regional security architecture.

The evidence clearly shows that China’s maritime behavior represents a systematic challenge for the international order based on rules. His actions demonstrate a pattern of aggression, coercion and contempt for international law that threatens regional stability and global trade.