On the 4th of July, two US aircraft carriers conducted exercises in the disputed South China Sea (SCS) at the same time that China was conducting its own military drills in the area. According to an official statement by the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) were deployed “in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific” and were conducting exercises to improve air defense capabilities and long-range missile strikes in a “rapidly evolving area of operations.”
China Maritime Coverage:
- South China Sea Standoff: Indonesia Deploys Fighter Jets and Warships to Thwart China
- Malaysia-China Standoff in South China Sea Leads to Five Nation Face-Off
- Philippines Temporarily Backtracks From Decision to End Military Agreement With US
- Japanese Local Authority Moves to Rename Disputed Islands, Irking China
- US House Foreign Affairs Committee Holds Hearing Titled “China’s Maritime Ambitions”
Though Navy officials described the mission as a routine operation, there is no denying that it is a deliberate effort to show force as China continues to flex its muscle in the region. China claims nearly all of the sea’s 1.3 million square miles as its own, and its maritime aggression and posturing has resulted in significant international pushback.
Last week, the Pentagon said that it was monitoring Chinese activity in the disputed waters and territory near the Paracel Islands—which are claimed by both, China and Vietnam—and said that the Chinese drills violated a 2002 agreement pertaining to international conduct in the South China Sea. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later tweeted: “America agrees with our South-East Asian friends: The PRC’s (People's Republic of China) military exercise in disputed waters of the South China Sea is highly provocative. We oppose Beijing’s unlawful claims. Period.”
The Navy did not disclose the exact location for the exercises and asserted that they were not a response to those being conducted by China. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the exercises, quoted Rear Admiral George M. Wikoff as saying: “The purpose is to show an unambiguous signal to our partners and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability.” However, China is unlikely to accept this explanation. A much smaller US Navy operation by USS Gabrielle Giffords in the last few weeks in the SCS has already irked Beijing, which has called it a “deliberate” attempt by the United States to “increase security risks in the region” adding that it could “easily spark an unforeseen incident”.
Beijing has regularly criticized the US for igniting tensions through military operations in the SCS, while Washington has maintained that its actions are entirely lawful and a way to remind China of the US’ commitment to its allies in the region. Tensions between the two have heightened in recent months over a number of issues, including human rights, Hong Kong, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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