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| Image: Flickr User - Official U.S. Navy Page |
By Shannon Tiezzi
Beijing warned the U.S. that continued patrols would backfire.
As The Diplomat’s Ankit Panda reported, on Tuesday the U.S. Navy finally carried out a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) within 12 nautical miles of China’s artificially-built islands. After months of media reports indicating Washington was coming ever closer to such patrols, the USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef (and possibly Mischief Reef as well), according to U.S. officials who spoke with the media.
We’ve known this was coming for weeks – ever since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States in late September, there has been a steady stream of reports based on comments from unnamed U.S. officials. The media coverage effectively amount to a countdown: the U.S. will conduct FONOPs within the next two weeks — the next few days — the next 24 hours. That was intentional, likely designed to give China plenty of warning – and plenty of time to formulate an official response (rather than leaving the reaction in the hands of a military officer on the ground).
Beijing’s response, according to China’s foreign ministry, included following the USS Lassen as it transited waters near Chinese-controlled features in the Spratly Islands. “Relevant authorities of the Chinese side monitored, followed, and warned the U.S. vessel,” spokesperson Lu Kang said. Lu did not provide any details on which vessels, or how many, were involved on the Chinese side. However, there is no indication that China threatened or harassed the U.S. vessel, meaning China is limiting its response to the diplomatic realm.
Verbally, though, Beijing unleashed its criticism. Lu said that the USS Lassen “illegally entered waters near relevant islands and reefs of China’s Nansha Islands [the Spratly Islands] without the permission of the Chinese government.” The U.S. patrol “threatened China’s sovereignty and security interests, put the personnel and facilities on the islands and reefs at risk and endangered regional peace and stability,” Lu added. “The Chinese side hereby expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition.”
Read the full story at The Diplomat