BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States' more frequent military moves in the Sea China Sea in violation of international law and in defiance of protests from a sovereign country concerned, only leads to escalation of tensions in the region.
Over recent years, the United States has insisted on its military operations across the South China Sea, with some senior U.S. officials making statements saying that such moves will be even more frequent in future.
Some Western media on Sunday called the recent U.S. military moves in the South China Sea the "new normal" in spite of continuous opposition from China.
A former U.S. defense official, quoted by media reports, said what's the United States doing was for "freedom of navigation" and "following the rules."
By launching frequent moves in the South China Sea one after another, Washington is just deliberately blurring the distinction between commercial navigation and military operation in the region. But such unlawful moves by the United States can never serve to cover up its gross violation of other countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity, or to whitewash its excessive ambition of maintaining a dominant presence in the region.
In the name of "freedom of navigation or overflight," Washington repeatedly shows its force as a global sheriff, neglecting the fact that the South China Sea had enjoyed decades of peace and commercial prosperity before the 1970s.
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