China has characterized such actions as an attempt to militarize the South China Sea, and has said US shows of force may prompt it to accelerate construction on man-made islands.
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What’s the point? Department of Defense spokesman said it was about “challenging excessive maritime claims that restrict the rights and freedoms of the United States and others, not about territorial claims to land features”.
In a statement on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hua Chunying, a ministry spokeswoman, said, “The U.S. warship’s arbitrary entrance of China’s territorial water has violated the relevant Chinese law, and the Chinese side has taken relevant measures in accordance with the law including monitoring and warning”.
According to the China’s law on the territorial sea and contiguous zone enacted in 1992, foreign warships entering China’s territorial waters must be approved by the Chinese government.
Beijing has asserted its claims by rapidly building artificial islands in another South China Sea island chain, the Spratlys, raising tensions in the region.
Pentagon spokesman Davis said the US destroyer was conducting a routine “freedom-of-navigation operation in the South China Sea”.
Overall, Graham said, the repetition of an “innocent passage” operation will send a cautious message to Beijing that Washington is continuing to take a gradual and minimalist approach to countering excessive claims in the South China Sea. A country can choose not to rectify the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Fairfax Media understands that while Australia played no support role to the United States in the freedom-of-navigation patrol, Canberra was forewarned by the U.S. that it was planning the exercise, underscoring the close co-operation between the allies on the issue.
The South China Morning Post cited the comments of retired Chinese Colonel Yue Gang, who warned: “There will probably be more [US] provocation if Beijing does not step up”. Saturday’s incursion saw Chinese troops on the islands, as well as Chinese Naval vessels and warplanes, take immediate action to identify and verify the USA vessel before demanding it leave.
China firmly upholds her sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea.
The U.S. has watched with increasing alarm as China has stepped up activities to enforce claims to islands and other land masses in the South China Sea, including among the Spratly and Paracel island chains.
Beijing lodged a formal protest over that and said its navy ships tracked the USA vessel, warning it to leave.
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‘We urge the US side to respect (and) abide by relevant Chinese laws, to do more things conducive to Sino-US mutual trust and regional peace and stability, ‘ the statement said. The Pentagon’s AirSea Battle strategy for war with China envisages a massive bombardment of Chinese military, communications and industrial assets from bases and ships off the Chinese coast.
