Discuss on these Five important
points,
= U.S. Plans Military Action In South China Sea.
= American Asia-Pacific Commander Calls For Stronger Action.
= Former U.S Senate Candidate Warns Against Likelihood Of War With China.
= U.S. Aims To Prevent Chinese ADIZ In South China Sea.
= U.S -China Continue To Disagree On South China Sea.
Washington is currently debating the possibility of deploying U.S. Navy ships
and aircrafts to the South China Sea. U.S. government officials have shared that
the decision has been prompted by a need to inhibit China’s growing
aggressiveness in the region. The U.S. may soon conduct “freedom of navigation
operations” in the South China Sea.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has reportedly recommending authorizing
aerial patrols over China’s claimed islands in the South China Sea. The Defense
Secretary has also suggested sending U.S. Navy ships into the 12 nautical mile
radius around the Spratly Islands that China has claimed as part of its
territory.
China has continued building artificial islands in the South China Sea despite
international arguments against the same. Beijing maintains that its islands are
within its legitimate territory and cites historical rights to the same.
Washington, however, has stated that China is building in international waters
and as such, not only are the artificial islands not to be considered legal,
actual islands but outposts, they are also in violation of international laws on
shared waters and do not count as China’s sovereign territory. Washington’s
latest decision to take stronger military action in the region has been inspired
by a need to curb China’s growing territory and boldness in the region. By
sending its fleet into the waters that China claims as its territorial seas,
Washington intends to alert Beijing that it does not consider its claims lawful
and does not recognize China’s sovereign rights to the region.
Most recently, the U.S. has conducted aerial surveillance patrols near China’s
outposts in the South China Sea. The U.S. has also been running the USS Fort
Worth in close proximity to China’s claimed territories. Details regarding
updated surveillance routines and closer patrols have not been shared as yet.
The Pentagon is reportedly reviewing different plans and is expected to submit a
proposal to the White House to deploy U.S. navy crafts within a 12-mile radius
of the artificial islands. The U.S.’ decision on the matter is made all the more
complex by the fact that it does, in fact, recognize some islands as part of
China’s rightful territory while not extending the same title to others.
As such, should the U.S. government authorize more robust action in the South
China Sea, it will have to navigate its way through an extremely intricate
situation- a reality that the Pentagon is clearly weighing into consideration.
In May 2015, Press TV reports an unnamed high-ranking U.S. government officer as
saying, “We’re just not going within the 12 miles—yet”. Whether the U.S. is now
ready to revive that stance remains to be seen.
The head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, is running point on
stronger U.S. military action in the South China Sea. The admiral has warned,
“If one country selectively ignores these rules for its own benefit, others will
undoubtedly follow, eroding the international legal system and destabilizing
regional security and the prosperity of all Pacific states”. To ensure that the
other claimants in the dispute do not mimic China’s actions in the South China
Sea, Admiral Harry Harris has said that the U.S. ought to “exercise freedom of
navigation wherever we need to.”
Admiral Harris has not shared details regarding the proposed operations and has
not confirmed the U.S.’ plans to enter into the 12 mile radius of China’s newly
constructed islands in the South China Sea.
Washington’s possible decision to send its navy into the South China Sea holds
the potential to ignite a war, a former U.S. Senate aspirant has warned.
Speaking to Press TV on Sunday, October 11, 2015, Mark Dankof compared
Washington’s strategies in the South China Sea to the U.S. decision to send its
warships into Japan’s seas in 1941.
The decision to send U.S. crafts into Japan’s territory was made by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt and it set the stage for encounters between the American
and Japanese forces, ultimately culminating in President Roosevelt’s decision to
announce war against Japan on December 08, 1941. Mark Dankof has warned that the
United States may be heading towards a similar war- one with the potential to
expand into a global conflict– with China. “We’re in a situation tonight where
American foreign policy, especially in the last 15 years, has led to a
circumstance where we are potentially on the edge of the abyss,” Dankof asserts.
Security experts have warned that the U.S. decision to deploy its Navy into the
South China Sea will only serve to worsen its already-strained ties with China.
The two states have come head-to-head over the past year repeatedly on a series
of issues ranging from the South China Sea dispute itself to allegations of
cyber warfare and economic manipulation. If the U.S. does take military action
against China’s territorial claims it is likely to polarize the two countries
further.
Mark Dankof warns that the decision may induce an international conflict, given
the complexity of the issue, the number of actors involved and the geopolitical
significance of the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan
and Vietnam are also involved in the dispute. And the South China Sea is at the
heart of the global shipping trade and is rumored to house significant natural
resources and development opportunities. By lending an international flavor to
what is currently essentially a regional dispute, the U.S. may trigger a far
greater conflict, Dankof cautioned.
Censuring Admiral Harry Harris for his “incredibly irresponsible remarks”,
Dankof has said criticized U.S. strategic decision-making by saying, “This is
crazy; it makes us wonder what sort of lunatics are running the American
government and the national security policy that the commanding officer of
American naval forces in the Pacific would actually be saying things like this
publicly. “
Washington and Beijing remain firmly opposed to one another on the South China
Sea issue. The U.S. has accused China of “aggressive” behavior and Beijing
maintains that Washington is interfering into China’s internal affairs.
James Clapper, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, has spoken out
against China’s land reclamation projects in the South China Sea and warned
against a potential regional war with universal fallout. The official opines
that China prioritizes its expansionist ambitions over friendly relations with
the U.S. and global stability. Addressing a gathering of the Senate Armed
Services Committee, Director Clapper said, “Although China is looking for stable
ties with the United States it’s more willing to accept bilateral and regional
tensions in pursuit of its interests, particularly on maritime sovereignty
issues”. Clapper has suggested that Beijing’s continued action in the South
China Sea, despite repeated warnings and requests from the international
community, point to a “worrying trend” as there is no predicting how China might
use its territories and influence in the South China Sea.
Beijing maintains that China continues to work for international security and
cooperation and is legally entitled to its sovereign authority in the region.
Hong Lei, the spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, has said that China
continues to display “restraint and responsibility” and that its decisions in
the South China Sea are “reasonable, legitimate and legal”.