Long before the trade war exploded between China and the United States, both superpowers have already engaged in military conflicts, thanks to tensions in the South China Sea. The current trade war only makes the military tensions in the region worse. As usual, the military superpower U.S. repeatedly sends its destroyers to poke the Chinese.

 

Sailing near disputed islands in the South China Sea is the easiest and fastest way to provoke China. And that was what the U.S. Navy did on Sunday. It was to send a message to Beijing that they don’t own the South China Sea. In return, the Chinese gets the opportunity to show its military prowess on how to shoo the Yankees away.

 

USS Decatur (DDG-73), a guided-missile destroyer, was conducting its usual “freedom of navigation” operation in the South China Sea when it sailed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands. China, already denied a request by American warship – the Wasp – to make a port visit in Hong Kong next month, clearly wasn’t impressed.

So, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 052C Luoyang II-class guided-missile destroyer Lanzhou (170), part of the Chinese navy’s South Sea Fleet, was sent to chase the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Decatur. The Chinese warship’s challenge, however, has been described by U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman as “an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre.”

 

The Chinese destroyer was said to have conducted a series of increasingly aggressive manoeuvres accompanied by warnings for USS Decatur to leave the area. Gorman said the Chinese destroyer came closer than half a football field from the Decatur’s bow, forcing the U.S. ship to manoeuvre out of the way to avoid a collision, which could trigger a war between both nations.

 

And to substantiate how irresponsible the Chinese Navy was, a photo has been released. The picture certainly look a lot closer to the half a football field or 45 feet reported. Ankit Panda, foreign policy expert and a senior editor at The Diplomat, called the incident “the PLAN’s most direct and dangerous attempt to interfere with lawful U.S. Navy navigation in the South China Sea to date.”

However, China who has been condemning the U.S. operations in the South China Sea, said the U.S. “repeatedly sends military ships without permission close to South China Seas islands, seriously threatening China’s sovereignty and security, seriously damaging Sino-U.S. military ties and seriously harming regional peace and stability.”

 

China claims the rights to most of the strategic waterway and has built man-made islands on reefs and equipped them with airstrips, radar domes and missile systems. In opposing the U.S. warship’s entry into the waters around the reefs, Chinese defence ministry confirmed it sent its destroyer to drive the USS Decatur away and urged the U.S. to stop its “provocative” actions.

 

The latest incident followed a series of US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress long-range bomber flights through the East and South China Sea, something that Beijing called the flights “provocative.” Besides the sanctions on US$200 billion in Chinese goods, the U.S. has also imposed sanctions on China over its purchase of Russian fighter jets and advanced surface-to-air missiles.

Apparently, the U.S. was offended by Chinese’s purchase of 10 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 missiles, calling such purchases contravene U.S. sanctions on Moscow introduced over Russian actions in Ukraine and alleged interference in U.S. politics. China retaliated and abruptly cancelled an invitation to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis for an annual security meeting this month.

 

To add salt to the injury, at the United Nations last week, President Trump accused China of meddling in the upcoming U.S. midterm elections in November. Trump told all and sundry at the UN Security Council meeting – “They do not want me or us to win because I am the first president ever to challenge China on trade. We are winning on trade. We are winning at every level.”

 

Two years ago, as the U.S. Navy was operating two submarine drones in the South China Sea, the Chinese literally snatched the gadgets and sailed away, obviously to crack whatever little secrets stashed inside the drones. The Americans were practically stunned with the Chinese’s naughty act of war. China only returned the drones weeks later – in boxes.

Interestingly, despite the trade war and diplomatic flare-ups, the Trump administration has counted on China to help enforce sanctions on North Korea in a bid to get “Rocket Man” Kim Jong-Un to scrap his nuclear weapons program. Trump acknowledges the souring relations with President Xi Jinping, saying – “He may not be a friend of mine anymore. But I think he probably respects me.”

 

Other Articles That May Interest You …

• Missiles Installed In Spratly – Upset U.S. Threatens China With “Consequences”
• How U.S. Military Is Scammed $20 Billion Buying 100 Stealth Fighters That Can’t Fight
• Forget South China Sea, China Is Dominating Indian Ocean – And India Isn’t Happy
• Get Ready For China’s Warplanes On Artificial Islands In South China Sea
• US Sent An Aircraft-Carrier Strike Team, And There’s Nothing China Can Do About It
• China’s Naughty Act Of War – Snatches U.S. Navy Submarine Drone & Sails Away!!
• Tribunal: No Basis To China’s South China Sea Claim, But Who Dares To Enforce It?
• Why China Can “Take” Any Island In South China Sea … And Get Away

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October 3rd, 2018 by financetwitter

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