The maritime boundary dispute between China and South Korea has already undergone 11 rounds of negotiations, but South Korea seems to ignore China's demands.
They refuse to return Suyan Rock and Hiyang Rock, and have built steel structures on these reefs, patrolling them with warships.
Faced with South Korea's provocations, China has been enduring in silence.
Apart from war, is there really no other solution?
Of course not!
When it comes to South Korea, Chinese netizens generally do not have a high opinion of the country.
Although its territory is not large, the behavior of its citizens is often unpleasant, especially in some Olympic events and their appropriation of Chinese culture.
Although they are not neighboring countries to China and Russia, they claim that China's Changbai Mountain and four counties in Yanbian, as well as Russia's Deer Island and Vladivostok, belong to South Korea.
Therefore, their claim that Suyan Rock belongs to South Korea is no surprise.
Many people might ask, who does Suyan Rock actually belong to?
Historically, Suyan Rock has always been Chinese territory!
Of course, South Korea has its own narrative.
Today, rather than delving into history, let's use the actual situation to demonstrate to whom Suyan Rock should belong.
Suyan Rock is 250 kilometers from Tongdao in Shengsi County, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, China, and 150 kilometers from Jeju Island's Rore Island in South Korea.
Tongdao is located at the easternmost point of China's mainland and is a group of reefs including Huajiao, Songjiao, Hengjiao, Taijiao, and Nanyuejiao.
South Korea's Rore Island is the southernmost island of Jeju Island.
Netizens might think that since Suyan Rock is closer to South Korea, it should belong to South Korea.
However, a comparison can be made: Alaska, although close to Russia and Canada, does not mean it should belong to either.
Whether Suyan Rock belongs to China mainly depends on whether it is located on the East China Sea continental shelf.
Legally, if it is on the continental shelf, it undoubtedly belongs to China!
Suyan Rock is located on the East China Sea continental shelf, which is evident.
According to international law, it should belong to China. South Korea's disregard for history and the East China Sea continental shelf has no legal basis!
Someone might ask, what is South Korea's intention?
They simply want to claim more territory since their country is indeed small.
But if you think that's all, you are gravely mistaken.
South Korea's actions are surprising, and we will reveal their true motives next.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, reefs and artificial islands do not have the rights to territorial waters and exclusive economic zones; only natural islands can have territorial waters.
This means that South Korea's claim to Suyan Rock has no legal basis.
People might ask, why do they insist on claiming it?
Suyan Rock is underwater and has no concept of territorial waters, so legally, it is meaningless.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, China's Tongdao claims a 12 nautical mile territorial sea and a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
The exclusive economic zone of Tongdao does not extend to South Korea's Rore Island.
Similarly, Rore Island's 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone does not extend beyond the edge of China's Tongdao.
If South Korea did not build underwater structures, China and South Korea would actually be in a state of mutual non-interference.
Suyan Rock itself does not surface, so it has no territorial waters.
Based on reasonable and legitimate exclusive economic zone division maps, the situation is clear.
To achieve their goals, South Korea renamed Suyan Rock as "Ieodo" and built artificial structures on it.
According to their assumptions, they drew a purple line circle around it as an exclusive economic zone, which includes the waters of Shanghai, China. This action severely infringes on China's territorial sovereignty.
Isn't this approach trampling on China's face?
In response to South Korea's actual control of Suyan Rock, what measures should China take?
Some might say, just send warships to drive them away; China has that capability.
But China is a peace-loving country, never bullies small nations, and always shoulders the responsibility of a major power.
Is enduring the only option for China?
Of course not.
In this situation, China can take countermeasures with courtesy and tact.
Chongming Island is a typical sedimentary island whose area continues to expand over time.
In 1957, Chongming Island's area reached 720 square kilometers, increasing to 1083 square kilometers by 1982, and to 1127 square kilometers by 1990.
Entering the 21st century, the area of Chongming Island continued to expand, reaching 1269.28 square kilometers by 2019.
According to expert predictions, Chongming Island expands by about 143 meters each year.
At this rate, it is expected to connect with the northern mainland in over 50 years.
Some might say that Chongming Island is still 300 kilometers away from Suyan Rock, and at the natural speed, it will take until 2097, which is too slow for China.
But don't forget, the Yangtze River carries a large amount of sediment each year, and China can accelerate this process through artificial intervention.
By directing this sediment in a specific direction, new land can be formed much faster.
If this speed is still not fast enough, consider diverting the Yellow River.
The Yellow River deposits a large amount of sediment in the Bohai Sea, making its depth only 20 meters.
To prevent the Bohai Sea from filling up, the sediments of both the Yellow River and Yangtze River can be used to quickly form new islands.
For example, the U.S. spent about 150 years through planned artificial intervention, extending the Mississippi River's estuary into the Gulf of Mexico by about 150 kilometers.
If China uses both rivers for similar operations, it could theoretically achieve the same effect in 75 years.
By then, with a 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone, even if South Korea claims Suyan Rock, it cannot stop China's territorial expansion.
South Korea's unilateral occupation of Suyan Rock is illegal.
They constantly provoke China, creating disputes in undisputed waters, building steel structures, and patrolling with warships without China's permission, severely harming bilateral relations.
Although South Korea threatens war if China reclaims Suyan Rock, this is an empty threat.
In the future, South Korea will realize its mistake and, according to international law, will demarcate the maritime boundary with China fairly and legally.
If not, China does not rule out using force to make them submit.
If South Korea continues on the wrong path and is unwilling to resolve issues peacefully, China can artificially intervene in the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, using sediment to form new natural islands, thereby expanding China's maritime boundaries.
In conclusion, facing South Korea's provocations, China has many strategies to choose from.
China can solve the issue diplomatically or expand its territory through natural and artificial means without resorting to war.
This not only demonstrates China's responsibility as a major power but also showcases its flexible and varied strategies.
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