The US is considering sailing warships close to China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea to signal it does not recognize Chinese territorial claims over the area, a US defense official said on Thursday.
The Financial Times newspaper cited a senior US official as saying US ships would sail within the 12 nautical mile (22km) zones that China claims as territory around the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) it has built on within the next two weeks.
The Navy Times quoted US officials as saying the action could take place “within days,” but awaited final approval from the administration of US President Barack Obama.
Photo: Reuters
A US defense official declined to confirm that any decision had been made, but referred to remarks in congressional testimony last month by US Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear, that “all options are on the table.”
“We are looking at this,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he was aware of the reports, but did not have any comment on future policy decisions.
Earnest told a regular news briefing that any such move “should not provoke significant reaction from the Chinese.”
“This is something the United States has done on several other occasions because the president is committed to the principle of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea,” he said.
Shear told the US Senate Armed Services Committee last month that there had been no US patrols within 22km of the Chinese-claimed islands since 2012.
In May, the Chinese navy issued eight warnings to the crew of a US P8-A Poseidon surveillance aircraft when it conducted flights near China’s artificial islands, according to CNN, which was aboard the US aircraft.
China claims most of the South China Sea, where the Spratly Islands are located and US$5 trillion in trade passes every year. Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also have overlapping claims.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) told a regular news briefing on Thursday that China was paying attention to the reports of impending US naval action, and that it and the US have maintained “extremely thorough communication” on the South China Sea issue.
“We hope the US side can objectively and fairly view the current situation in the South China Sea, and with China, genuinely play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea,” she said.
US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said last month, in reference to China’s claims, that the US would “fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as US forces do all over the world.”
Obama said he told Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) that he had “significant concerns” about the islands when Xi made his first state visit to Washington late last month.
Xi said at the time China had no intention of militarizing the islands, but Washington analysts and US officials say China has already begun creating military facilities, and the only question is how much military hardware it plans to install.
Admiral Harry Harris, commander of US forces in the Pacific, has said China’s development of the islands, including the building of runways suitable for military use, was of “great concern” and a threat to the region.
In congressional testimony on Sept. 17, Harris said the US should challenge China’s claim to territory in the South China Sea by patrolling close to the artificial islands and that the US was considering going within 22km of them.
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