SOUTH CHINA SEA WITNESSES GREATER EUROPEAN NAVIES INVOLVEMENT

South China Sea so far did not engage much attention of European Nations Navies in terms of naval patrols to indicate and establish their presence signalling strategic interest in this crucial maritime expanse.

European apathy in not giving due strategic attention to the South China Sea in their strategic calculus presumably arose from  a combination of three or four factors.

South China Sea till middle of last decade had not assumed the military turbulence that characterises it in 2020 as a result of China's unbridled military aggressiveness and brinkmanship to establish China's sovereignty and dominance over the entire South China Sea.

European Nations found assurance in the belief in past years that the United States military power and might would be able to checkmate China's military adventurism in South China Sea.

European Nations economies were inextricably tied up with their China-Trade and European Nations were loathe to ruffle China by increasing their Naval Patrols in Indian Ocean and particularly extending to South China Sea.

However, in 2020, all the European Nations presumptions on South China Sea security and stability stand proved grievously wrong by China.

China stood emboldened by American hesitation in not resorting to full scale deterrence against China in its predatory forays and aggression South China Sea till US President Trump came along and started confronting China both in South China Sea and China's unilateral exploitation of its trade relations with United States.

China also stood emboldened in defying United States on the South China Sea conscious of the fact that European Nations stood apathetically unresponsive to the growing turbulence in South China Sea.

Resultantly, what developed was that China carried an exponential expansion of a 'blue water' Chinese Navy with its eyes not only on South China Sea but also on Indian Ocean and as afar as the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. It also began military occupation of South China Sea islands belonging to Vietnam and Philippines

While European Nations Navies like those of France and Britain maintained their presence in the Indian Ocean but they had not extended their naval presence to the South China Sea.

As 2020 drew to a close European Nations rattled by China's unrestrained belligerence not only in South China Sea and Indian Ocean but also with Chinese Navy Bases in Gwadur in Pakistan and in Djibouti on the Red Sea coupled with  Chinese interference in geopolitics of Levant & Eastern Mediterranean woke up belatedly to the reality that China was moving into European traditional areas of influence.

Emerging from the above realisations and conscious of the fact that China was no longer a responsible stakeholder in global security and stability, European Nations have recently decided that French, British an Navies would now be sending their Navy warships on patrols to South China Sea.

South East Asian nations particularly Vietnam and Philippines would feel encouraged that not only the United States, Japan, India and Australia stand by them on the South China Sea against Chinese aggression but also that France, Germany and Britain have signalled to China that it is high time that China behaves like a responsible nation and desist from its disruptive strategies especially against smaller neighbours.