The Chinese military said Monday that a US warship “illegally” entered waters near Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed reef in the South China Sea that’s been the site of frequent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
“The United States has deliberately disrupted the South China Sea, seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, severely undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations,” China’s People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command said in a statement.
“This fully illustrates that the US is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the command added.
According to The South China Morning Post, the USS Gabrielle Giffords, an Independence-class littoral combat ship, made the passage after conducting combined operations with the Philippine Navy in the South China Sea.
The Philippines grounded a World War II-era warship on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its claims and now uses it as a base of operations for the region. Chinese and Philippine vessels typically have encounters when Manila sends boats to resupply the ship.
This year, dangerous confrontations at the reef have spiked as Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken a more aggressive approach in pushing back on China’s claims in the South China Sea. The US has emboldened Marcos by increasing military ties with Manila and stepping up its presence in the South China Sea, including by resuming joint patrols with the Philippines.
Recent incidents have included Chinese and Philippine boats colliding and the Chinese Coast Guard firing water cannons. After each confrontation, the US always reminds China that the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty applies to attacks on Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.
it looks to me like another incident will cause the innocent US to start another war.
This is like Russia claiming the Arctic and land from neigboring countries.
Ridiculous.
Iran is obviously responsible for this
In a statement on Monday, U.S. 7th Fleet said, “USS Gabrielle Giffords was conducting routine operations in international waters in the South China Sea, consistent with international law. Every day the U.S. 7th Fleet operates in the South China Sea, as they have for decades.”
The “international law” would be UNCLOS law of the sea which the US never ratified because the Senate didn’t want other countries telling them what to do.
The “routine operations” apparently included passing through the waters adjacent to 2d Thomas Shoal which China declares to be theirs.
As the Navy says, they’ve been doing it for a long time, if not “decades.” Unfortunately, that is “routine.” . . And then they claim that China is aggressive.
I have posted detailed comments at “USNI,” US Naval Institute blog, with details on why these routine violations are illegal, and other details like the 9-dash line, but they were both removed. . . Toe the government line!
update – my (to be pulled) latest USNI comment.
USNI: The United States Naval Institute is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues.
Baloney. Debate?? I posted twice with comments that included facts, and they were immediately pulled.