US ship sails in South China Sea by China-claimed islands
File picture of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) transiting the South China Sea in this US Navy picture taken October 29, 2015. — Reuters pic
BEIJIJNG, Feb 17 — A US Navy warship sailed by islands claimed by China in the South China Sea today in a freedom of navigation operation, marking the latest move by Washington to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the contested waters.
The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said destroyer USS Russell “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law.”
China claims sovereignty over the entire archipeligo, but Brunei, Malaysia, The Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have lodged competing claims for some or all of the islands.
China’s extensive territorial claims in the resource-rich waters have become a hot button issue in an increasingly testy Sino-US relationship. The two countries are at odds over trade, the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong, Taiwan and accusations of human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims.
Washington has denounced what it called Beijing’s attempts to bully neighbours with competing interests. China has repeatedly denounced what it called US efforts to foment unrest in the region and interfere in what it regards as its internal affairs.
The US ship’s pass by the Spratly Islands follows a joint exercise by two US carrier groups in South China Sea and another warship sailing near Chinese-controlled Paracel islands earlier this month. Those actions had suggested that the Biden administration was not about to scale back operations challenging Beijing’s claims after the ramp-up seen during the Trump administration. — Reuters
The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said destroyer USS Russell “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law.”
China claims sovereignty over the entire archipeligo, but Brunei, Malaysia, The Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have lodged competing claims for some or all of the islands.
China’s extensive territorial claims in the resource-rich waters have become a hot button issue in an increasingly testy Sino-US relationship. The two countries are at odds over trade, the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong, Taiwan and accusations of human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims.
Washington has denounced what it called Beijing’s attempts to bully neighbours with competing interests. China has repeatedly denounced what it called US efforts to foment unrest in the region and interfere in what it regards as its internal affairs.
The US ship’s pass by the Spratly Islands follows a joint exercise by two US carrier groups in South China Sea and another warship sailing near Chinese-controlled Paracel islands earlier this month. Those actions had suggested that the Biden administration was not about to scale back operations challenging Beijing’s claims after the ramp-up seen during the Trump administration. — Reuters
ARMED AND DANGEROUS BULLY NAVY Behaving and Encroaching Provocatively on Malaysia/Philippines/Vietnam territorial seas
ReplyDeleteQUOTE
Chinese Navy Expanding Bases Near South China Sea
By: H I Sutton
December 29, 2020
The Chinese Navy, formally known as the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy), conducted a live-fire exercise several days ago over the South China Sea utilizing a newly expanded naval base.
Harbin Z-9 helicopters took off from a base at Sanya on the southern tip of Hainan and fired anti-ship missiles at simulated targets. The Z-9, a license-built variant of the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin, is a standard shipboard helicopter the PLAN flies. The exercise itself sends a signal, but the base from which the helicopters took off is crucial. The base has been massively improved over the past year.
The South China Sea is a strategically important and hotly contested region. China claims virtually all of it and has been strengthening its navy’s bases in the region. The airbase is not the only facility that could make a difference in the balance of power in the region. China is also working to strengthen the aircraft carrier base a few miles along the coast.
New satellite images show steady progress building a new dry dock at the base, which will be large enough for China’s new Type-003 supercarrier. Construction of the dock started in 2016 and now appears close to completion. As with any new structure only observed in satellite imagery, there is a degree of uncertainty in assessing its purpose. But at this stage, it appears to be a massive dry dock under construction.
Having a dry dock on Hainan will greatly strengthen the naval presence in the region. It indicates that aircraft carriers will be permanently based on the island. A pier nearby that has already been used by carriers currently has a brand new Type-075 assault carrier parked alongside. This pier can accommodate two full-size carriers.
China is building a fleet of aircraft carriers and the largest to date, the Type-003, is currently under construction in Shanghai. The Type-003 will be significantly larger than the first two carriers, which were based on the Russian Kuznetsov-class design. The Chinese used a ski-jump like the Kuznetsov, but the third ship is expected to have an electromagnetic catapult similar to the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) on the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carriers.
UNQUOTE
They are international waters.
ReplyDeleteFishing boats, container ships, oil tankers, yes, aircraft carriers all have a right to sail past there.
The "sails provocatively" statement is just CCP Fanboy talk-cock.
biden is our fren.
ReplyDeleteWakakakakaka…
ReplyDeleteWaiting for another request for mia salvaging operation!
China will prove that it is only interested in its own interest.
ReplyDeleteCountries like malaysia should wake up to the fact that China is the ultimate danger to its sovereignty.
China is the real bully!
Nothing wrong with "China will prove that it is only interested in its own interest."
DeleteWho else isn't?
Yr demoNcratic utopian fart?
So protection it heirloomed backyards is bullying!
U turn the phrase of real bully into a f*cked sophism of the nth kind!
How about tweaking yr bullying direction to 'cornering & hoarding' of covid-19 vaccines by yr western & rich demoNcracies, who r chanting human rights & compassion, days in & out?
The poor Africans, Asians etc have no life's worth mentioned in that bullying tactic that u turn a blind eyes.
agree with steven, call a spade a spade, no sophistry, call a bully a bully, direct honest n to the point.
DeleteUSA does not lay claim to any islands in the South China Sea.
DeleteBullyland certainly does lay claims, to extensive islands and seas, including James Shoal, reefs just 70 km from Sarawak.
Fuck.... begone fucking back to Hainan-island, the nearest legal CCP land 1800 km away from James Shoal.
Bullyland indeed.
Many blame China for claiming islands in the South China Sea - actually China made islands, not sapu them
DeleteSecondly, have you been aware the Vietnam and Philippines have sapu-ed islands that Malaysia believes it owns? Why no one complained about this? Why hasn't the USA intervened?
CCP Fanboy, what's the difference between claiming islands, and building up reefs into islands, and sapu all the seas around the reefs ?
Deletedifference has been that no one did anything until China actually built sizeable islands out of reefs and sand bars, then the neighbouring greed and jealousy rush in
Deleteand what about Vietnam and Philippines sapu-ing islands that Malaysia believes it owns? Why has no one complained about this? Why hasn't the USA intervened?
don't think Vietnam and Philippines are angels
Deleteprotest is not something? and what else sae country can do except protest? usa can intervene as they deem fit n when suit their interest, thats what bully do, would that not made ccp another bully?
Deleten the understanding of most chinese in ccpland is south sea belong to china, not merely the island or shoal or reef whatever one call it. i believe any sea country hv much more claim compare to china that is so far away, n ccp zombie would start rebutting talking falkland n hawaii, but is that apple to apple?
There is a catch that all these mfers refuse to say.
DeleteMany of these maritime territories r claimed by multiple countries.
When the Yankee fleet encroaching these maritime territories ONLY China voices concerns & protests! & send navy to counteract the Yankee aggressions.
What happened to all those other claimants under such similar scenario?
Scared of chicken shit of the Yankees might?
Wagging their tails to welcome the fleet?
Or no eyes see, bcoz Yankee is their taiko who would protect them!
Mfers, whose the bully here?
All of u want to push harsh words about China - might u, when she us protecting her maritime rights.
What about all these other nations?
& u people?
Talk about hypocrisy of the f*cked order. U guys r the Crème De La Crème!
Bravo, keep cloaking in unison lah.
u r right, we welcome the yank, the sentiment is similar to ww2 when there was one butcher cum aggressor cum invador cum bully around.
DeleteThe sea lanes in International Waters in the South China Sea have been freely open for all to use in peace since August 1945, when Imperial Japan surrendered.
DeleteThe US Navy was the key liberator of these waters.
Now Bullyland puts up roadblocks in the International Sea lanes and says "You cannot pass unless we give you permission"
Bullyland have not interfered with Civilian traffic (yet) , except Oil exploration rigs, but USA is deliberately making a point that armed vessels have a right to pass peacefully as well.
To answer CCP Fanboy, neither Phillipines and Vietnam have attempted to claim the whole of the South China Sea, so while both claim some islands there, nobody consideres them a potential Hegemon in the sea, but Bullyland definitely is.
U welcome the yank simply bcoz it's in yr genuflecting katak instinct - pure & simple!
Delete"similar to ww2 when there was one butcher cum aggressor cum invador cum bully around."
Mfer, don't spread yr katak-ised history lah. Meme-ed dwellers of that fart filled well would buy them wholesome, as in the case of demoNcratic dogma.
So anything new that u can fart about?
The nine-dotted-line DOESN'T enclose the whole of SouthChinaSea.
DeleteThere r STILL free passages if one doesn't encroaching too close to the claimed maritime territories!
"roadblocks in the International Sea lanes"
???
The yank r purposely navigating close to the dispute territories - simply just to provoke by deliberately making a point that armed vessels have a right to pass peacefully as to other's backyard!
Old moneyed mfer - "neither Phillipines and Vietnam have attempted to claim the whole of the South China Sea"
!!! What a f*cked understanding of the 南沙 dispute!
South China maritime territory consists of several archipelago clusters of mostly small uninhabited islands, islets (cays and shoals), reefs/atolls and seamounts numbering in the hundreds. Almost all are subjected to competing claims of sovereignty by several surrounding countries.
So what would those claimant countries did when the Yankee fleet sails right to the door step?
Keep quiet & not even a fart while wagging their tails! Indeed, nobody consideres yankee a potential Hegemon in the sea just bcoz there is nothing they can do with a bully like US.ofA
China isn't taking ANY shits from the USofA. There were already many secret engagements between these two nations.
So mfer, what else do u know besides know nothing!
It was Obama's Pivot to the East that started all these messes in the SCS. Barely catching its breath having bombed and killed millions of Muslims in the Middle East, ( with unfinished business still pending there ) this demonic nation turned its sight on China, to prevent its rise. Obama's era saw a total of 400 military bases effectively surrounding China, with aircraft carriers hovering at the very doorstep of China at the seafront. It was precisely this sort of extreme provocation and aggression that pushed China to strategize the absolute necessary defence...hence the building up on the small islands and rock outcrops in SCS. China is determined not to see a deja vu of another gunboat diplomacy of the imperialist West, this time in the name of Freedom of Navigation.
ReplyDeleteChina is heavily reliant on the Middle East for its energy needs. About 25 percent of oil shipped between the Middle East and Asia passes through the Straits of Malacca before going into the SCS towards the ports in China. A blockade by the US to create a severe chokepoint in SCS would be fatal for the growth of China, which is precisely the US's game plan...deprive China of the needed energy source to contain the rise of China. This time around, China refused to be caught napping...it won't be easy meat again for these predatory West, coming over to this Asian region 9000 miles away to meddle again. ( Of course in the NW of China, to hamper China's Belt&Road Initiative which has to go through Xinjiang, the US had been fomenting unrest and stirring up the terrorist groups among the Uyghur extremists and separatists ...very much a US playbook repertoire ). China is strong now...it managed to pry Hong Kong from the US' grip after its failed color revolution there. Be assured Xinjiang won't fall into the ETIM's hands ( East Turkestan Islamic Movement, an Islamist-based organization which is listed a terror group under the UN mandate but the US, in order to recruit its help to destabilize Xinjiang, had recently unilaterally taken ETIM off the terror list. However, the rest of the world and the UN STILL considered ETIM a terrorist org). This is the despicable US in its usual brutal geopolitical games to maintain its hegemony at all cost.
Imagine if China were to send aircraft carriers to the Gulf of Mexico and set up a few hundred military bases surrounding the US, all in the name of Freedom of Navigation !