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US Navy warships in ‘serious incident' with China after sailing into disputed waters
[TheScottishSun] It comes after experts warn biggest Pacific land and sea grabs since the Japanese invasions of 1930s and 1940s ’almost complete’ as Beijing packs artificial islands with game-changing military hardware.The tense naval drama unfolded after the American warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China. The presence of the US warships was slammed by Beijing just as President Donald Trump seeks to make peace with North Korea to avoid a serious war breaking out. The operation in the South China Sea was the latest bid to counter what Washington condemns as brazen efforts to take control of the strategical important seas. US officials arrive in North Korea after Donald Trump reveals plans for weapons summit on June 12 are going ahead The hotly contested region is also rich in fossil fuels which China desperately needs to feed is industrialising economy with cheap energy. While this naval drills had been planned months in advance, and similar operations have become routine, it comes at a particularly sensitive time. It comes just days after the Pentagon uninvited China from a major US-hosted naval drill. Yeah, the butthurt is strong The American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Higgins guided-missile destroyer and the Antietam, a guided-missile cruiser, came within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands. This spot is among a string of islets, reefs and shoals over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbours. The US military vessels carried out manoeuvring operations near Tree, Lincoln, Triton and Woody islands in the Paracels, one of the officials said. China's Defence Ministry expressed its anger at the presence today of the American ships, saying it had sent its own vessels and aircraft to intercept them. The move "contravened Chinese and relevant international law, seriously infringed upon Chinese sovereignty and harmed strategic mutual trust between the two militaries," it said. Chinese complaining about international law. That's rich In a separate statement, China's Foreign Ministry urged the United States to stop such actions. Posted by: Frank G 2018-05-27 |
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