In first under Trump, U.S. warship challenges Beijing's claims in South China Sea

[webfact]

In first under Trump, U.S. warship challenges Beijing's claims in South China Sea

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO: Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Mischief Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States Navy May 21, 2015. U.S. Navy/Handout via Reuters/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, the first such challenge to Beijing in the strategic waterway since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.

 

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the USS Dewey travelled close to the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, among a string of islets, reefs and shoals over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbours.

 

The so-called freedom of navigation operation, which is sure to anger China, comes as Trump is seeking Beijing's cooperation to rein in ally North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

 

Territorial waters are generally defined by U.N. convention as extending at most 12 nautical miles from a state's coastline.

 

One U.S. official said it was the first operation near a land feature which was included in a ruling last year against China by an international arbitration court in The Hague. The court invalidated China's claim to sovereignty over large swathes of the South China Sea.

 

The U.S. patrol, the first of its kind since October, marked the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters.

 

The United States has criticized China's construction of the man-made islands and build-up of military facilities in the sea, and expressed concern they could be used to restrict free movement.

 

U.S. allies and partners in the region had grown anxious as the new administration held off on carrying out South China Sea operations during its first few months in office.

 

Last month, top U.S. commander in the Asia-Pacific region, Admiral Harry Harris, said the United States would likely carry out freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea soon, without offering any details.

 

Still, the U.S. military has a long-standing position that these operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and they are separate from political considerations.

 

The Pentagon said in a statement it was continuing regular freedom of navigation operations and would do more in the future but gave no details of the latest mission.

 

"We operate in the Asia-Pacific region on a daily basis, including in the South China Sea. We operate in accordance with international law," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said in the statement.

 

U.S.-CHINA RELATIONS

 

Under the previous administration, the U.S. Navy conducted several such voyages through the South China Sea. The last operation was approved by then-President Barack Obama.

 

China's claims to the South China Sea, which sees about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade pass every year, are challenged by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan.

 

The latest U.S. patrol is likely to exacerbate U.S.-China tensions that had eased since Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a summit at the U.S. leader's Florida resort last month.

 

Trump lambasted China during the 2016 presidential campaign, accusing Beijing of stealing U.S. jobs with unfair trade policies, manipulating its currency in its favour and militarising parts of the South China Sea.

 

In December, after winning office, he upended protocol by taking a call from the president of self-ruled Taiwan, which China regards as its own sacred territory.

 

But since meeting Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump has praised Xi for efforts to restrain North Korea, though Pyongyang has persisted with ballistic missile tests despite international condemnation.

 

U.S.-based South China Sea expert Greg Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the operation was also the first conducted by the United States close to an artificial feature built by China not entitled to a territorial sea under international law.

 

Previous freedom of navigation operations have gone within 12 nautical miles of Subi and Fiery Cross reefs, two other features in the Spratlys built up by China, but both of those features are entitled to a territorial sea.

 

Mischief Reef was not entitled to a territorial sea as it was underwater at high tide before it was built up by China and was not close enough to another feature entitled to such a territorial sea, said Poling.

 

He said the key question was whether the U.S. warship had engaged in a real challenge to the Chinese claims by turning on radar or launching a helicopter or boat -- actions not permitted in a territorial sea under international law.

 

Otherwise, critics say, the operation would have resembled what is known as "innocent passage" and could have reinforced rather than challenged China's claim to a territorial limit around the reef.

 

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Additional reporting and writing by Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Sandra Maler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-05-25

[NanLaew]

I think that a US navy vessel sailing within 12 nm of any structure claimed by P R China is a first under any president. The FON transits through the South China Sea have been frequent and unremarkable under Obama's watch in that, like navigation at sea anywhere else in world,  they always stayed outside any territorial claims. Apart from the embarrassing one when the Guardian ran aground off PI and had to be cut up for scrap.

[Juan B Tong]

12 miles?  You can do better than that!  Go Navy!

[YetAnother]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

, said the operation was also the first conducted by the United States close to an artificial feature built by China not entitled to a territorial sea under international law.

china does not care about that one wit

[ilostmypassword]

8 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I think that a US navy vessel sailing within 12 nm of any structure claimed by P R China is a first under any president. The FON transits through the South China Sea have been frequent and unremarkable under Obama's watch in that, like navigation at sea anywhere else in world,  they always stayed outside any territorial claims. Apart from the embarrassing one when the Guardian ran aground off PI and had to be cut up for scrap.

wrong

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-usa-idUSKCN0SK2AC20151026

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

wrong

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-usa-idUSKCN0SK2AC20151026

Thanks for that. And so long ago too. I guess things went off the boil under Obama's lame duck second term. I worked extensively in the SCS deepwater offshore Vietnam since before the Chinese started their island making and witnessed several radio communications between USN vessels on FoN transits and their 'shadow' Chinese navy vessels. All very polite with the Chinese asking where they were headed and the Americans saying they were going nowhere in particular, just cruising. After a few variations in this exchange, with agreements that it was nice weather for a sea cruise, the Chinese would ultimately suggest that they will tag along with the departing USN vessel rejoinder something like, "Up to you."

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, YetAnother said:

china does not care about that one wit

Big business does not care either they always dance with the devil so to speak. The yuan is as good as the next currency. No principles attached. 

[Trouble]

Think that Maylaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, the PI, and the USA and maybe some other western countries should do some joint ventures and build their own islands with some landing strips, naval facilities, etc.  See what the Chinese do if 5 or 6 countries start doing this.  The Chinese will keep building and claiming territory and then claim the fishing and mineral rights for hundreds of miles out.  Sailing some ships around is not doing much of anything to stop the Chinese activities,  but building some installations might give them something to think about. 

[Srikcir]

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Territorial waters are generally defined by U.N. convention as extending at most 12 nautical miles from a state's coastline.

Since the navy only sailed to within 12 nautical miles of the Chinese artificial island, how is that a challenge?

A challenge to China's territorial claim over the island would be to break though the 12 nautical mile boundary, ie. 10 nautical miles.

Adhering to the 12 nautical mile boundary seems in effect to respect China's territorial claim.

[thaibeachlovers]

13 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I think that a US navy vessel sailing within 12 nm of any structure claimed by P R China is a first under any president. The FON transits through the South China Sea have been frequent and unremarkable under Obama's watch in that, like navigation at sea anywhere else in world,  they always stayed outside any territorial claims. Apart from the embarrassing one when the Guardian ran aground off PI and had to be cut up for scrap.

They can claim away all they like. It's not Chinese territory.

As for Xi "helping" with Nth Korea, Xi is just doing what the Chinese ( IMO ) always do- say whatever is convenient, and carry on with whatever. I doubt China will ever actually rein in Nth Korea. They are too valuable as a tool to stick in Americas eye.

Edited May 25, 2017 by thaibeachlovers

[Scott]

Troll post removed.   Please stay on the topic.  

[Johnnyngai]

The first artificial island built in mainland China was the Phoenix Island at the southern tip of Sanya.   The Phoenix Island was a learning project.  There will be more artificial islands coming.  China has almost mastered the art of mass production.    

[Ruffian Dick]

There should be a flotilla of VN and PI ships in escort: a little solidarity.

[hawker9000]

13 hours ago, YetAnother said:

china does not care about that one wit

Oh do tell.  Then why the Chinese broadcast "warnings"?

 

Go Navy!  'Hope much more of this to come.  Finally some backbone in the White House!!  And while we're at it, let's put some escorted - heavily if needs be - recon flights directly over those islands.   ... Escorted and with "meaningful" ROE.

[ExpatOilWorker]

7 hours ago, Johnnyngai said:

The first artificial island built in mainland China was the Phoenix Island at the southern tip of Sanya.   The Phoenix Island was a learning project.  There will be more artificial islands coming.  China has almost mastered the art of mass production.    

 

Soon 20 or more floating nuclear power plant will follow:

 

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10253/china-floating-nuclear-reactor

[tandor]

3 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

There should be a flotilla of VN and PI ships in escort: a little solidarity.

...a regatta.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, hawker9000 said:

Oh do tell.  Then why the Chinese broadcast "warnings"?

 

Go Navy!  'Hope much more of this to come.  Finally some backbone in the White House!!  And while we're at it, let's put some escorted - heavily if needs be - recon flights directly over those islands.   ... Escorted and with "meaningful" ROE.

Actually, the naval challenges to the Chinese islands began under Obama. In fact, Trump held off on doing it until now.

[NanLaew]

12 hours ago, Trouble said:

Think that Maylaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, the PI, and the USA and maybe some other western countries should do some joint ventures and build their own islands with some landing strips, naval facilities, etc.  See what the Chinese do if 5 or 6 countries start doing this.  The Chinese will keep building and claiming territory and then claim the fishing and mineral rights for hundreds of miles out.  Sailing some ships around is not doing much of anything to stop the Chinese activities,  but building some installations might give them something to think about. 

Chinese fishing fleets are already operating deepwater and sometimes encroach on Vietnam's territorial waters but there seems to be a degree of mutual control and agreement. The only 100% agreed territorial sea boundary is the one in the Gulf of Tonkin between Vietnam's north coast and Hainan. The Chinese also have a parallel system of offshore exploration blocks that mostly overlay the industry accepted outermost Vietnamese exploration blocks. There was the Chinese drill rig that caused tempers to flare when it came and drilled a duster back in 2015. I was working the next block over (nearer Vietnam) for an American company just prior to this intrusion and despite having a decent-sized flotilla of Vietnamese naval support, we were seriously harassed by a Chinese navy destroyer. Nothing new really, the Chinese have been harassing and actively disrupting oil exploration in waters much closer to Vietnam and Philippines for years before the island building started. The fact that China is a major trading partner with Vietnam, Philippines and others doesn't make exercising a counter force a clear cut option, even if they had matching naval resources. The latest PI President has extended their own moratorium on oil exploration which was initiated on the grounds of security and safety issues but is now just a cover while he pursues economic favours and investment from China.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, tandor said:

...a regatta.

More truth to that. The navy of both Vietnam and Philippines is pretty lamentable compared to what they are up against.

[elgordo38]

20 hours ago, Juan B Tong said:

12 miles?  You can do better than that!  Go Navy!

Get a hovercraft Donald and run em over.