US Warship Challenges China’s Claims In South China Sea

 

A US guided missile destroyer, USS Decatur, patrolled the South China Sea on the afternoon of October 21, thereby spurring a protest from China’s Defence Ministry. The US warship sailed within the waters currently claimed by China, yet affirms that it “conducted this transit in a routine, lawful manner without ship escorts and without incident.” Despite this, the ministry expressed their outrage at the “illegal” and “provocative” actions carried out by the US, in spite of the warning given by two Chinese warships nearby to leave. The events of October 21 signify the US’s fourth freedom-of-navigation challenge (FONOPs) to, what it believes, are over-reaching maritime claims by China in the South China Sea in the past year.

 

US defence officials claim that the warship was challenging “excessive maritime claims” by patrolling near the Paracel Islands – a region of contention between China and its neighbours. The Chinese ministry, however, views the US’s actions as those, which are “motivated by a desire to see the world in chaos.” The ministry also declared in a statement on its website that “the Chinese military will increase its air and maritime patrol efforts in accordance with need, strengthen defence ability building in all areas, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and security” in response to the event.

 

China claims, almost, the entire South China Sea, a region through which over $US5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. Washington has repeatedly condemned the expansion of Beijing’s military facilities in the sea and expressed its concern about whether these will be used to restrict or control free movement. While Beijing has characterized such US operations as “irresponsible and extremely dangerous,” the Obama administration has received ongoing criticism in Congress for conducting rather uncontroversial challenges to China.

 

While diplomatic efforts are ongoing to lower tensions over the South China Sea and establish a binding code of conduct in the region, the continuation of the US’s FONOPs is likely to eventuate in more confrontational behaviour from China. Not only will this affect China’s diplomatic relations with the US, but its increasing hostile maritime security conduct will also detrimentally impact the complex territorial disputes China currently has with its neighbouring states.

Maneesha Gopalan

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