Source: Global Times-Global Network
On 29 July, the Southern Theater of the People's Liberation Army announced that on the same day, US warships illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to China's Nansha Islands and reefs, and the Chinese Southern Theater of the People's Liberation Army organized naval and air forces to track and monitor and warn them to drive away. This is the first time since the November 14 meeting between the two heads of state that a U.S. warship has carried out a so-called "freedom of navigation" operation in the South China Sea, carrying out provocations. In order to let neighboring countries and the international community clearly understand the dangerous behavior of the US vessel, the Southern Theater also released for the first time a schematic chart of the US "Chance Lossville" deliberately rushing into the waters adjacent to our islands and reefs. Experts believe that only by maintaining the momentum of China's continuous increase in strength and enhancing its strategic strength and capabilities in an all-round way can the United States truly respect China's position.
Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesman for the Southern Theater, said on the 29th that the US military's behavior seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, which is another ironclad proof of its large-scale pursuit of navigation hegemony and the militarization of the South China Sea, fully demonstrating that the United States is an out-and-out security risk maker in the South China Sea. China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and its surrounding waters, and its forces in the theater maintain a high state of alert at all times to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and peace and stability in the South China Sea.
However, in response to US media inquiries, a US Navy spokesman called China's statement "untrue": "The Chance Losswell conducted freedom of navigation operations in accordance with international law and then continued to conduct normal operations in 'freely applicable waters of the high seas.'" ”
In response to the cunning of the US side, the Southern Theater released on the afternoon of 29 July a schematic map of the trajectory of the "Chanslowville" deliberately breaking into the waters adjacent to our islands and reefs, as well as a map of the scene of the officers and men of the Southern Theater observing and driving away the USS Chanslowville. It is worth noting that the schematic chart of the US ship's passage in the waters adjacent to our islands and reefs is the first time that the PLA has displayed it to the outside world.
An anonymous military commentator told the Global Times reporter that the Southern Theater's announcement of the US "Chance Lossville" deliberately intruding into the waters adjacent to our islands and reefs is the most truthful on-site information released to the outside world, so that neighboring countries and the international community can clearly understand the dangerous behavior and provocative nature of the US ship. He pointed out that the "Chance Lossville" belongs to the "Ticonderoga" class cruiser, which has served for more than 30 years and is expected to be retired soon: "The 'Chance Lossville' turned at a sharp angle in sensitive waters and deliberately rushed in, which is the US Navy using dilapidated ships to provoke and touch porcelain." The Chinese navy responded quickly, reasonably and lawfully, allowing intruders to retreat in the face of difficulties, demonstrating accurate and efficient maritime rights protection capabilities. ”
According to public reports, this is the first so-called "freedom of navigation" operation carried out by US warships in the South China Sea after the meeting between the two heads of state, just a week after the meeting between the defense ministers of China and the United States on the 22nd.
The last time the U.S. military carried out a so-called "freedom of navigation" operation in the South China Sea and was warned by the PLA's Southern Theater was in July. On 13 July, the US guided-missile destroyer "Benford" illegally intruded into China's territorial waters of Xisha without the approval of the Chinese Government, and organized naval and air forces Chinese the Southern Theater of the People's Liberation Army to track and monitor and warn her to leave.
U.S. Defense Secretary Austin recently said during talks with Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe that the United States will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere permitted by international law. Later, in his speech at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus the following day, Austin again mentioned the importance of "freedom of navigation."
Military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times reporter that China has always had a clear understanding of the duplicity of the United States, and China has been reiterating that it not only looks at what the United States says, but also pays more attention to how it acts, and the harm caused by its actions, and China will also make corresponding countermeasures against these provocative actions.
Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the Foreign Affairs University, said in an interview with the Global Times that the incident fully proves that the contest between China and the United States in the South China Sea will be a normalized long-term phenomenon and will not fundamentally change with high-level contacts between the two sides. ”
On November 12, during the U.S.-ASEAN leaders' summit, the United States said it would upgrade its relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" and called Southeast Asia the core of what the United States called the "Indo-Pacific strategy," looking forward to building "an open, free, stable, prosperous, resilient and secure Indo-Pacific."
In addition, the United States has strengthened bilateral relations with the Philippines, and the drunken man does not mean to drink, aiming to "arch the fire" of the South China Sea issue. The Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported on November 15 that the Philippine Department of Defense announced on the same day that in the next two years, the United States and the Philippines will strengthen defense cooperation, and the specific measures are: by 2023, the United States will spend $66.5 million to build and improve three military bases in the Philippines.
On November 22, U.S. Vice President Harris visited Palawan Island in the Philippines, which is close to China's Nansha Islands and is described by US media as "the forefront of the maritime sovereignty dispute between the Philippines and China." Harris thus became the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit the Philippine border island.
Song Zhongping believes that the implementation of the so-called "freedom of navigation" by the United States in the South China Sea and other regions has become normal, and the United States has identified China as a "step-by-step challenge" aimed at containing China's development and maintaining its global hegemony. Although the US military has the will to maintain communication and exchanges with the PLA, it will not give up its inherent propositions, let alone change course, and achieve peaceful coexistence with China in the true sense. Therefore, the United States has always used the South China Sea issue as a starting point to deliberately provoke instability in the entire South China Sea region. The United States continues to create incidents in the South China Sea to show its allies in the region, hoping to let these countries follow the United States, follow the US chariot, and jointly contain China's development. ”
Li Haidong analyzed that on the South China Sea issue, there are very deep differences between China and the United States, based on the United States in the South China Sea and other regions continue to create incidents, if China wants to make the United States respect our interests, the more effective way is to enhance its own military strength, "One of the key characteristics of US diplomacy is to respect powerful opponents, only by maintaining the momentum of continuous growth of our own strength, and enhancing our strategic strength and strategic capabilities in an all-round way, can we ensure that we can truly respect China's position in military exchanges and even frictions with the United States." ”
Li Haidong also said that the two sides need to work to strengthen control and avoid friction to conflict on this issue. If a conflict occurs, it will have a huge impact on the political and public opinion environment in China and the United States, which may lead to deeper confrontation between the two sides.