Seoul, South Korea
Act Daily News
—
The United States and Chinese militaries exchanged harsh phrases Tuesday after a US Navy warship carried out the primary freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) within the South China Sea since the leaders of the 2 powers met earlier this month in an try to ease tensions.
In an announcement, the Chinese navy claimed the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, “illegally entered the waters near China’s Nansha Islands and reefs without the approval of the Chinese government.”
The transfer, in response to China, reveals the “US is a true producer of security risks in the South China Sea.” An announcement from the US Navy’s seventh Fleet later Tuesday known as the PLA’s account “false” and a continued misrepresentation of US actions within the South China Sea.
The encounter is the primary within the South China Sea since US President Joe Biden and Chinese chief Xi Jinping met in particular person on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Indonesia two weeks in the past, in response to a US Navy spokesperson.
After that assembly, Biden stated he and Xi made progress on cooling tensions in some areas however got here nowhere close to resolving the litany of points which have helped drive the US-China relationship to its lowest level in a long time.
China claims “indisputable sovereignty” over nearly the entire 1.3 million sq. mile South China Sea in addition to many of the islands inside it, together with the Nansha Islands, recognized exterior China because the Spratlys.
They are dwelling to navy installations China has constructed on options claimed by different nations across the South China Sea, together with the Philippines, a US treaty ally, and Vietnam.
People’s Liberation Army Col. Tian Junli, spokesman for the Southern Theater Command, stated the PLA organized naval and air forces to comply with, monitor, warn and ultimately drive away the US warship.
China says this motion by the US navy “seriously infringes on China’s sovereignty and security” and is “hard proof is that the US is seeking maritime hegemony and militarizing the South China Sea,” in response to an announcement on its official Weibo account.
In its assertion, the US Navy stated the US cruiser performed the FONOP “in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations in waters where high seas freedoms apply.”
“The PRC’s behavior stands in contrast to the United States’ adherence to international law and our vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. All nations, large and small, should be secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms,” the US assertion added.
Biden stated he made that time to Xi at their assembly.
“I was clear that we will defend American interests and values, promote universal human rights and stand up for the international order and work in lockstep with our allies and partners,” Biden stated.
Tuesday’s FONOP is an early indication Biden is just not backing down on that promise.
“The operation reflects our commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea as a principle. The United States is defending every nation’s right to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Chancellorsville did here. Nothing the PRC (China) says otherwise will deter us,” Tuesday’s US Navy assertion stated.