Treachery !

China has laid claim to most of the South China Sea as an integral part of its sovereign  territory. It has enhanced that claim by developing a number of submerged rocks and tiny island outcroppings by dredging sand  to expand the above water area.  These are now so substantial that they can house airfields and other defence facilities.

China has claimed the air space above the South China Sea and demands that civilian air traffic adhere to Chinese air traffic control when using this area.  It has placed no restrictions on movement, but the rest of the world has ignored this claim.

No attempt has been made to interfere with commercial shipping, but when naval ships of other nations use this international waterway they are warned that they are infringing Chinese territory and there is an implied threat to their safety.

This ownership issue was settled when the Chinese claim was rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague.  China has ignored that decision and is fast building a blue water navy that may at some future time attempt to enforce Chinese sovereignty by placing restrictions on who may use this international waterway.

Having failed to achieve legal recognition, China is playing the " might is right " option.  It is in possession of the South China Sea and is harassing the fishing boats of other nations who traditionally fish its waters.  This is becoming one of the world trouble spots that could easily dissolve into military conflict.

The Australian government backs the stance of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that the South China Sea is an international waterway with right of passage open to all countries.  It now appears that Labor Senator Sam Dastyari disagrees with the policy of both the government and his own political party and has seen fit to publicly endorse this Chinese claim at a press conferenced, which saw him dropped from a position on the opposition front bench.   There was also an issue where a leading Chinese businessman had paid Dastyari's personal bills which compromised his integrity.

Dastyari has long dodged coming clean on that press conference speech in which he claimed that Australia should not become involved in the South China Sea claim. He claimed to have been misquoted and taken out of context, but now a recording of that speech has surfaced to haunt him.

Even more damaging is a claim that he warned that leading Chinese businessman that his phone was likely to be tapped by Australian security and that he should not speak near his phone, either near the instrument or anywhere within his home.  He took the Chinese businessman into the garden to deliver that message.

As an elected member of the Senate Dastyari is expected to be loyal to Australia.  The fact that he has attempted to compromise the Australian Security service by giving a warning which may have come to his knowledge because of his position in the Senate is completely untenable.  He should be disendorsed by his party at the next election.

The Prime Ministers question of   " Which side are you on  " was very valid  !