China Alarms US Ally in Disputed Waters

Miami Herald

2 days ago

China's activities in the disputed waters between its shores and the Korean Peninsula continue to raise concerns in South Korea, a treaty ally of the United States.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense and Foreign ministries for comment by email.
Under a 2000 agreement, China and South Korea established the provisional measures zone (PMZ) in the Yellow Sea, where their 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap, paving the way for future negotiations to establish permanent maritime boundaries.
China has recently refused South Korea's calls to remove its structures installed in the PMZ, saying they are for aquaculture purposes. Seoul fears this could signal a shift in the status quo in Beijing's favor, similar to developments in the South China Sea territorial disputes.
Meanwhile, Chinese maritime authorities declared three "no-sail zones" in the PMZ in late May for military exercises, including one entirely within South Korea's EEZ. The move follows accusations by South Korean media that China is "militarizing" the Yellow Sea.
With regard to the Chinese "no-sail zones," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed on Monday that China had conducted military training in the PMZ. The South Korean military is now assessing and analyzing the nature of the training and China's combat capabilities.
An unnamed South Korean defense official also told Yonhap News Agency that the military has been closely monitoring Chinese activities in the PMZ. The South Korean navy was dispatched to nearby waters to collect intelligence during China's training, the report added.
The report also said the Chinese military conducted training with an aircraft carrier from May 22 to 27, during the effective period of the "no-sail zones." It remains unclear whether the vessel was CNS Liaoning, which departed its Yellow Sea home port during that time.
The "no-sail zones" were located beyond the territorial waters of China and South Korea, which extend up to 13.8 miles from their coastlines. South Korea previously conducted military training within its own "no-sail zones" in international waters, the report said.
Also on Monday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Seoul was monitoring additional Chinese observation buoys installed within and near the PMZ, warning that the buoys might serve a "potential military surveillance purpose" beyond maritime and meteorological observation.
A total of 13 observation buoys have been identified in the Yellow Sea, a map by Yonhap News Agency shows. Three of these buoys, installed in May 2023, were recently detected by South Korea. Each buoy measures 9.8 feet in width and 19.6 feet in height.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official said on Monday: "The government is closely monitoring the related situation … while remaining open to various possibilities, including the potential military surveillance purpose of the buoys."
Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on April 24: "I would like to point out that what China set up in the provisional measures zone (PMZ) are the aquaculture facilities. And relevant activities of China are consistent with China's domestic law and international law."
It remains to be seen how South Korea will respond to China's maritime activities in the PMZ, including the potential enhancement of its military and coast guard presence in the area.
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