The Patriot Files Forums  

Go Back   The Patriot Files Forums > Military News > Navy

Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-29-2018, 12:35 PM
Boats's Avatar
Boats Boats is offline
Senior Member
 

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Sauk Village, IL
Posts: 21,784
Arrow US sails warship past contested islands in South China Sea, drawing protest from Chin

US sails warship past contested islands in South China Sea, drawing protest from China
By Ryan Browne, CNN - Updated 1:59 PM ET, Thu November 29, 2018
RE: https://us.cnn.com/2018/11/29/politi...sea/index.html

Photo link: https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/asse...ge-gallery.jpg
Washington (CNN) - The US Navy sailed the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville near contested islands in the South China Sea Monday, an action that drew a diplomatic protest from Beijing, two US officials told CNN.

The "USS Chancellorsville sailed near the Paracel islands to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law," US Navy Cdr. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for US Pacific Fleet told CNN in a statement.
The US warship conducted what is referred to as a "Freedom of Navigation Operation" in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands to challenge claims made by China, Christensen added.

A US official said that the Chancellorsville was shadowed by a Chinese vessel during the operation but that all interactions were deemed safe and professional.
US officials say the operations are meant to enforce the right of free passage in international waters.

"US Forces operate in the Indo-Pacific region on a daily basis, including the South China Sea. All operations are designed in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows," Christensen said.

While the US Navy conducts such freedom of navigation operations all over the world, China is particularly sensitive about the operations when they come near areas where the Chinese government has built islands and established military facilities on disputed maritime features.

Two officials told CNN that China issued a formal diplomatic protest, known as a demarche, following Monday's operation.

In late September, the USS Decatur sailed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs in the Spratly Islands as part of a similar freedom of navigation operation.

During that operation, a Chinese destroyer came within 45 yards of the US warship, forcing it to maneuver to avoid a collision. The US labeled the Chinese warship's actions unsafe and unprofessional, while Beijing said the US was threatening the safety and sovereignty of China.

The US Navy has had 18 such unsafe or unprofessional encounters with Chinese military forces in the Pacific since 2016, according to US military statistics obtained by CNN.

The US has criticized Beijing over what it sees as China's militarization of the South China Sea. On Wednesday, the US Navy also sailed two ships through the Taiwan Strait.

The approximately 110-mile-wide strait separates the People's Republic of China and Taiwan and is seen as a potential geopolitical flashpoint should Beijing ever seek to take the island of Taiwan by force.

While the strait constitutes international waters, China is thought to be very sensitive about the presence of US military forces in the area.

Two US officials previously told CNN that Chinese naval vessels followed the US ships during the transit and that all interactions with the Chinese were deemed safe and professional.
__________________
Boats

O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"IN GOD WE TRUST"
sendpm.gif Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 10:00 AM.


Powered by vBulletin, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.