In an interview today with the BBC, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter threatened further US military involvement in the South China Sea, saying nothing would stop the United States from carrying out overflights and naval patrols through the area as they have for years.
The comments are a continuation of increasingly bellicose US rhetoric against China over the construction of artificial islands in the Spratly chain. China is one of several nations with competing claims in the Spratlys, and the US has claimed China’s land reclamation program threatens a regional war.
Chinese Admiral Sun Jianguo downplayed the seriousness of the situation in his own comments this weekend from Singapore, saying the artificial islands were not targeting any other country’s claims, and would not interrupt freedom of navigation for ships through the South China Sea.
Sun insisted that the construction was entirely legitimate and reasonable. There is no problem under international law with construction of islands, despite the US objections, and many Chinese officials believe the Pentagon is blowing the situation far out of proportion.
On the other hand, Sun did not rule out setting up an airspace defense region over the new islands, saying that would depend on if the islands were facing any airborne threat. The Pentagon’s efforts to publicly and repeatedly overfly the islands seem designed around the idea that they’re going to coax China into such a move so they can denounce and respond to it.
Where in the world did Obama find this new war-mongering SecDef Ash Carter? Now we know why Obama wanted Hagel out, even though Hagel was hardly a dove.
“…the US has claimed China’s land reclamation program threatens a regional war…”
That’s only true because the Empire is itching for an excuse to start one.
For freedom and democracy, of course.
It is the US that is, as usual, threatening war by trying to block others while blaming it on others.
It will be interesting when China/Taiwan pull a tit-for-tat and announce that nothing will stop their overflights, naval patrols over and around the Hawaiian Islands.
China has not threatened commercial shipping or even one commercial ship in the South China Sea. They are as capable of insuring unfettered commercial shipping through the area, as we are, and they can do it a lot cheaper than we can. With that money saved, we could rebuild some of our roads and bridges!
The Military is supposed to report to the Executive Branch of the Civilian government and not the other way around. Apparently Ashton Carter thinks he makes the policy.