BEIJING — The U.S. Navy on Tuesday dismissed Beijing’s protests over a “freedom of navigation operation” carried out close to a Chinese language-held island within the South China Sea, within the newest incident drawing new consideration to one of many world’s potential army flashpoints.
In an uncommon transfer, the Navy’s seventh Fleet issued a rebuttal to China’s objections to Tuesday’s mission, calling it “the most recent in a protracted string of (Chinese language) actions to misrepresent lawful U.S. maritime operations and assert its extreme and illegitimate maritime claims” within the South China Sea. China claims the realm nearly in its entirety.
The Navy stated that China’s sweeping maritime claims pose a critical risk to the liberty of navigation and overflight, free commerce and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of financial alternative for South China Sea littoral nations.
“So long as some international locations proceed to say and assert limits on rights that exceed their authority beneath worldwide legislation, the USA will proceed to defend the rights and freedoms of the ocean assured to all,” it stated.
The Navy stated its guided missile cruiser USS Chancelorsville on Tuesday “asserted navigational rights and freedoms within the South China Sea close to the Spratly Islands, in step with worldwide legislation.”
China referred to as the motion unlawful and stated it mobilized naval and air asserts to difficulty warnings and drive off the ship.
“The U.S. army’s actions have significantly violated China’s sovereignty and safety, which is additional ironclad proof of its pursuit of navigational hegemony and militarization of the South China Sea,” spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command, Air Pressure Col. Tian Junli, was quoted as saying.
“China has indeniable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjoining waters,” Tian stated.
The long-seething South China Sea territorial conflicts involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have lengthy been considered a fragile fault line within the U.S.-China rivalry within the area.
Whereas the U.S. lays no claims to the strategic waterway, the place an estimated $5 trillion in international commerce transits annually, it has stated that freedom of navigation and overflight is in America’s nationwide curiosity. The ocean can also be dwelling to wealthy fishing shares and a possible wealth of vitality and mineral assets.
In March, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John C. Aquilino instructed The Related Press that China has totally militarized at the least three of a number of islands it constructed within the disputed waters with anti-ship and anti-aircraft missile methods, laser and jamming tools. He described it as an more and more aggressive transfer that threatens all nations working close by.
Then in July, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken referred to as on China to adjust to a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s huge claims on historic grounds within the South China Sea.
On a go to to the realm earlier this month, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed Washington’s dedication to defend the Philippines beneath the 1951 Mutual Protection Treaty. She additionally introduced an extra assist of $7.5 million to Philippine maritime legislation enforcement companies.
That got here shortly after the Philippine navy alleged a Chinese language coast guard vessel had forcibly seized Chinese language rocket particles as Filipino sailors had been towing it to their island.
© Copyright 2022 Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
