The Chinese ships settled in like unwanted guests who wouldn’t leave. They were simply fishing boats, China said, though they did not appear to be fishing. Dozens even lashed themselves together in neat rows, seeking shelter, it was claimed, from storms that never came. Not long ago, China asserted its claims on the South China Sea by building and fortifying artificial islands in waters also claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia. The goal is to accomplish by overwhelming presence what it has been unable to do through diplomacy or international law.

Source: International New York Times April 03, 2021 09:01 UTC