US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson is to start a visit to China today amid increasing frictions in the South China Sea and other tensions underscoring the Washington and Beijing’s rivalry for dominance in Asia.
Richardson is to meet with his counterpart, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Commander Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong (沈金龍), and leaders of the Chinese Central Military Commission during a visit to Beijing and Nanjing that is to end on Wednesday, the US Navy said.
The goal of the visit, Richardson’s second as head of operations, is to “continue a results-oriented, risk reduction focused dialogue” between the two militaries, the US Navy said.
“A routine exchange of views is essential, especially in times of friction, in order to reduce risk and avoid miscalculation,” the release quoted Richardson as saying. “Honest and frank dialogue can improve the relationship in constructive ways, help explore areas where we share common interests, and reduce risk while we work through our differences.”
Richardson and Shen previously met at last year’s International Seapower Symposium in the US and have held three discussions via video teleconference, the most recent in December, the release said.
China has long chafed at the robust US naval presence in the region, which it sees as a key component of a strategy to contain its development. The South China Sea has become the main area of contention, home to islands, rich fishing grounds, undersea mineral deposits and shipping lanes through which passes an estimated US$5 trillion in goods annually.
US freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea have enraged China, which has vowed to take whatever measures to thwart them. While they usually involve the dispatch of ships and aircraft to warn off US vessels, in late September, a Chinese destroyer came perilously close to the USS Decatur in the South China Sea in what the US Navy called an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver.”
US Navy officers downplayed the incident, calling it unfortunate, rare and something they would like to avoid in future.
Richardson has said that the patrols highlight the US’ position against “illegitimate maritime claims.”
Chinese Naval Research Institute senior fellow Senior Captain Zhang Junshe (張軍社) on Wednesday said that Beijing might further fortify Chinese outposts depending on perceived threats.
While the sides have sought to boost understanding and signed agreements to handle unexpected confrontations at air and sea, deep mistrust lingers.
Last summer, Washington disinvited China from the Rim of the Pacific naval exercise in what it called “an initial response” to China’s militarization of the South China Sea.
The Pentagon cited strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile systems and electronic jammers to contested areas in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), which Taiwan also claims. It called on China to remove these systems.
Despite strong mutual suspicions, the US had included China in the previous two versions of the exercise, which were held in 2014 and 2016.
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