As part of China’s aggressive stance in the disputed region, the Chinese naval force is now ready and threatening to confront the United States naval ship after the Obama administration has authorized the US Pacific Command a Green light to send warships and aircraft to areas near within 12 miles into the China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea.
After delaying for months, United States President Barack Obama has decided and ordered to take the action, challenge Beijing’s territorial claims to these man-made islands.
Under international law, a country’s territorial waters are defined as a belt of coastal waters extending up to 12 nautical miles from the shores of the country. But U.S. forces will enter what China claims to be its territorial waters around the man-made islands to make clear United States rejection of Beijing’s unilateral claims.
In any case, the US military is not expected to send the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group to pass going inside of 12 miles of any disputed artificial islands that China is asserting as its territorial domain. The carrier arrived at its new home-port of Yokosuka, Japan on Oct. 1 replacing the USS George Washington.
Rather than a carrier group, the United States in the next two weeks is likely to send one of its new lightly-armed Littoral Combat Ships on what the military calls FON, for freedom of navigation.
Source info Asia times and The Asahi Shinbun
Image used credit to usnews.com
By: Jason E.
