Tag: South China Sea

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US Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) reveal its security strategy amidst geopolitical tensions

South China Sea, – An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter takes off from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) as the ship prepares to pull alongside the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204) for an underway replenishment. Credit: DVIDS.

The US Department of Defense has released its annual Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) for the fiscal year 2022, protesting against 22 excessive maritime claims worldwide. FONOPs are protests made by the DoD against “unlawful maritime claims” that challenge the legal foundation of the rules-based order. The FONOP made against Malaysia in the South China Sea seeks to prevent the country from prohibiting military exercises or manoeuvres in its economic exclusive zone without consent. While this is an affront to Malaysia’s self-determination, it is seen as a potential military exercise to be conducted in the SCS in the near future. Similarly, Taiwan is included as a claimant in the SCS, and challenging its prerequisite for prior notification for foreign military or government vessels to enter its territorial sea will give the US more manoeuvrability to contain the PRC and potentially control wider activity in the region such as commerce.

US protests against excessive maritime claims

The US Department of Defense has released its annual Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) protesting against 22 excessive maritime claims for 2022, revealing its security strategy amidst geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

Geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific

Countries around the world are jostling to maintain their interests at sea more than ever before, largely due to the geopolitical tensions across the Indo-Pacific. Within this boiling pot of competing interests in the region, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has released its annual FONOPs in its report for the fiscal year 2022.

FONOPs challenge unlawful maritime claims

FONOPs are protests made by the DoD against “unlawful maritime claims” that challenge the legal foundation of the rules-based order.

FONOPs against Malaysia

The FONOP made against Malaysia in the South China Sea seeks to prevent the country from prohibiting military exercises or manoeuvres in its economic exclusive zone without consent. Politically, this is an affront to the country’s self-determination, and it is also hypocritical given the DoD’s claim that its FONOPs aim to “uphold the freedom of navigation as a principle”.

Potential military exercise in the SCS

However, in the broader context of their conflict with the PRC, which we see from the FONOPs made against them, is encroaching upon its neighbouring territories, from India to Taiwan. As tensions rise in the SCS, this FONOP signals a potential military exercise to be conducted in the SCS in the near future. This tactic would follow the large-scale military exercises the US have conducted this year on the Korean peninsula and in the Middle East that were designed to deter their adversaries.

Challenging Taiwan’s prerequisite for prior notification

Similarly, Taiwan is included as a claimant in the SCS as well, as the island country requires prior notification for foreign military or government vessels to enter its territorial sea. Challenging this prerequisite will give the US far more manoeuvrability as the DoD seek to contain the PRC, and potentially control the wider activity in the region such as commerce.

Conclusion

The US Department of Defense’s annual Freedom of Navigation Operations protests against excessive maritime claims and reveals its security strategy amidst geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. With tensions rising in the South China Sea, the FONOP made against Malaysia and Taiwan seeks to prevent restrictions on military exercises and manoeuvres, giving the US more manoeuvrability to contain the PRC and potentially control wider activity in the region

Key takeaways

  • The US Department of Defense’s annual Freedom of Navigation Operations protests against excessive maritime claims and reveals its security strategy amidst geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
    FONOPs challenge unlawful maritime claims that challenge the legal foundation of the rules-based order.
  • The FONOP made against Malaysia seeks to prevent restrictions on military exercises and manoeuvres, giving the US more manoeuvrability to contain the PRC and potentially control wider activity in the region such as commerce.
  • Challenging Taiwan’s prerequisite for prior notification will give the US more manoeuvrability to contain the PRC and potentially control wider activity in the region such as commerce.
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US Navy challenges China’s maritime claims in South China Sea with freedom of navigation operation

USS Milius (DDG-69). Navy photo

The US Navy conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the disputed waters around the Paracel Islands, which are claimed by both China and Vietnam. The operation was carried out by the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius, which sailed within 12 nautical miles of the islands to challenge China’s maritime claims in the region according to press reports.

AP reported that China threatened “serious consequences” Friday after the United States Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in a move Beijing claimed was a violation of its sovereignty and security.

In response to the operation, US Navy spokesperson Lt. j.g. Luka Bakic stated, “The United States conducts routine and regular freedom of navigation operations, as we have done in the past and will continue to do so in the future. These operations are designed to uphold the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law.”

China has claimed almost the entire South China Sea as its own, a claim that is disputed by other countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The US has been conducting freedom of navigation operations in the region to challenge China’s excessive claims and assert its right to sail through what it sees as international waters.

The operation comes amid tensions between the US and China over a range of issues, including trade, human rights, and the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. China has accused the US of “provocation” and “interference” in the region, while the US has said it will continue to challenge what it sees as China’s excessive claims in the South China Sea.

In a report from PBS, the U.S. has no South China Sea claims itself, but has deployed Naval and Air Force assets for decades to patrol the strategic waterway, through which around $5 trillion in global trade transits each year and which holds highly valuable fish stocks and undersea mineral resources.

A United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that the historical claim from China on the waters had no legal basis under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, and Washington maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight of the waterway are in the American national interest.

U.S. forces currently operate daily in the South China Sea, and have been present for more than a century. China regularly responds angrily, accusing the U.S. of meddling in Asian affairs and impinging upon its sovereignty.

China’s claims have frequently brought it into conflict with other nations in the region as well. Filipino diplomats unleashed a slew of protests Friday over China’s recent targeting of a Philippine coast guard ship with a powerful military laser and other aggressive behavior.

.In 2018, CNN also reported on the Paracel Islands, a group of islands in the South China Sea that are claimed by both China and Vietnam. The islands have long been a source of tension between the two countries, with China asserting its sovereignty over the region and Vietnam claiming that the islands are part of its territory. This conflict has escalated in recent years, with China building military facilities on some of the islands and Vietnam protesting these actions.

The Paracel Islands are a group of around 130 small islands, reefs, and atolls that are located in the South China Sea, approximately equidistant from the coasts of Vietnam and China. The islands are located in an area that is rich in natural resources, including oil, gas, and fish, which has made them a source of contention between the two countries. Both China and Vietnam claim historical rights to the islands, with China pointing to records dating back to the Han Dynasty and Vietnam citing evidence of its control of the islands during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Despite the competing claims, China has taken steps to assert its sovereignty over the Paracel Islands in recent years. China has built military installations on several of the islands, including airstrips, radar systems, and naval bases. This has led to concerns among Vietnam and other countries in the region that China is seeking to establish de facto control over the South China Sea.

Vietnam has responded to China’s actions by protesting its sovereignty over the islands and conducting its own military exercises in the region. In 2016, Vietnam’s prime minister called for a peaceful resolution to the dispute, stating that “Vietnam will resolutely and persistently protect its sovereignty and legitimate rights and interests in the East Sea [South China Sea].”

The Paracel Islands dispute is just one of several territorial disputes in the South China Sea, which has become a key flashpoint in the region. China’s claims to the islands are part of a larger effort to assert its dominance over the region, which has led to tensions with other countries in the region, including the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei.

The dispute over the Paracel Islands is likely to continue in the coming years, as both China and Vietnam remain committed to their competing claims to the region. The United States and other countries in the region have called for a peaceful resolution to the dispute, but it remains to be seen whether this will be possible given the complex geopolitical factors at play.

In conclusion, the Paracel Islands dispute is a complex and contentious issue that has significant implications for the region. While China has taken steps to assert its sovereignty over the islands, Vietnam and other countries in the region have expressed concern over China’s actions. The dispute is likely to continue for the foreseeable future, as both China and Vietnam remain committed to their claims to the region

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US and Philippines Condemn China’s “Gray Zone” Activities in the South China Sea

The United States and the Philippines have issued a joint statement condemning China’s “gray zone” activities in the South China Sea. These activities include the deployment of maritime militia and the harassment of Philippine vessels and fishermen. The two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to upholding international law and called for a peaceful resolution to the disputes in the region. The statement was issued after the conclusion of the annual joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines.

Key takeaways:

The US and the Philippines have condemned China’s “gray zone” activities in the South China Sea.

China’s activities include the deployment of maritime militia and the harassment of Philippine vessels and fishermen.

The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to upholding international law and called for a peaceful resolution to the disputes in the region.

The statement was issued after the conclusion of the annual joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines.

Source: The Manila Times

What are the Gray Zones?

U.S. Position on Maritime Claims in the South China Sea:

In a 2020 U.S. Secretary of Defense the statement, the PRC has no lawful territorial or maritime claim to (or derived from) James Shoal, an entirely submerged feature only 50 nautical miles from Malaysia and some 1,000 nautical miles from China’s coast. James Shoal is often cited in PRC propaganda as the “southernmost territory of China.” International law is clear: An underwater feature like James Shoal cannot be claimed by any state and is incapable of generating maritime zones. James Shoal (roughly 20 meters below the surface) is not and never was PRC territory, nor can Beijing assert any lawful maritime rights from it.

The world will not allow Beijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime empire. America stands with our Southeast Asian allies and partners in protecting their sovereign rights to offshore resources, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law. We stand with the international community in defense of freedom of the seas and respect for sovereignty and reject any push to impose “might makes right” in the South China Sea or the wider region.


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Chinese Ships Suspected as Cutting Internet to Taiwan’s Outlying Islands

Several news sources including a report from ABC News, report that Chinese ships have cut the internet access to Taiwan’s outlying islands, which are located close to China. The disruption has affected around 6,000 people, who are now unable to access the internet or make phone calls. The Taiwanese government has condemned the move and said that it is a violation of international law. The incident comes amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

  • Chinese ships have cut off internet access to Taiwan’s outlying islands, affecting about 6,000 people according press report
  • The move has been condemned by the Taiwanese government as a violation of international law.
  • This incident occurs amidst growing tensions between China and Taiwan.
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Chinese boats harass Philippines

The Philippines has reported that it is monitoring dozens of armed Chinese fishing vessels around a disputed island in the South China Sea, with the boats being part of China’s “gray zone” efforts to assert sweeping claims in the energy-rich waters. The unmarked fishing boats, accompanied by a naval and coast guard presence, were described as “a form of harassment” by a Philippine official. China’s ambitious maritime and territorial claims were dismissed in 2016 by an arbitral tribunal in The Hague, but China has rejected the verdict, leading to tensions with the US, which is committed to freedom of the seas.

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Chinese vessels near Philippines

Thitu Island, NASA • Public domain

The Philippines has reported the presence of a Chinese navy ship and 42 Chinese maritime militia vessels around Thitu island, a Philippine-occupied island in the South China Sea according to press reports by Reuters.

Thitu is the Philippines’ largest and most strategically important outpost in the disputed region. The Chinese embassy in Manila has not responded to the assertion. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has previously stated that the Philippines “will not lose an inch” of territory and has protested against China’s “aggressive activities” in the area according to press reports.

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South China Sea – Chinese Fighter Jet Intercepted

A CNN crew aboard a US Navy reconnaissance jet witnessed a Chinese fighter jet intercepting their plane over the South China Sea. The Chinese fighter jet was so close that the CNN crew could see the pilots turning their heads to look at them. The Chinese fighter jet armed with air-to-air missiles escorted the US plane for 15 minutes before turning away. The incident reveals the tensions simmering between the US and China in the South China Sea. China claims historic jurisdiction over almost the entirety of the South China Sea, which is a major potential flashpoint in the Asia Pacific. Islands in the South China Sea, like the Paracels near which the US Navy plane was intercepted, are the subject of overlapping territorial claims from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.