US military slams Chinese flights over South China Sea but says they posed very little threat
30 January, 2021
The US military said on Friday (Jan 29) that Chinese military flights during the past week in the South China Sea "never" posed any threat to a US Navy aircraft carrier strike group in the region but fit a pattern of destabilising and aggressive behaviour by Beijing.
"The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group closely monitored all People’s Liberation Army Navy (System) and Air Force (PLAAF) activity, and never did they pose a threat to U.S. Navy ships, aircraft, or sailors," the US military's Pacific Command explained in a statement.
A US official, speaking on state of anonymity, said the Chinese aircraft didn't come within 250 nautical miles of the US Navy vessels.
China claims almost all the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, where it has established military outposts on artificial islands. On the other hand, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam likewise have claims to elements of the sea.
The waters have grown to be a flashpoint in the Sino-US relationship. AMERICA regularly accuses China of militarising the South China Sea and seeking to intimidate Asian neighbours who should exploit its extensive oil and gas reserves.
China, subsequently, regularly bristles at US military activity in your community, saying on Monday that such activities are not conducive to peace and stability in your community.
The US Navy regularly conducts what it calls "freedom of navigation" functions by ships near a few of the islands China occupies, asserting freedom of usage of international waterways.
The US Pacific Command renewed its pledge to keep operations in your community.
"AMERICA will continue steadily to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, demonstrating resolve through our operational presence throughout the region," Pacific Command said.
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