MESSAGE
| DATE | 2020-07-06 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [Hangout - NYLXS] Putting the pressure on China
|
wsj.com
U.S. Shows Off Its Firepower to Beijing in South China Sea
Alastair Gale
6-8 minutes
Strike fighters and electronic-warfare jets took off day and night from
two U.S. aircraft carriers in the South China Sea to simulate sustained
attacks on enemy bases as Washington put on one of its biggest displays
of naval power in a potential flashpoint for conflict.
Throughout the weekend, the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz completed
hundreds of launches of jets, surveillance planes and helicopters in
some of the largest military drills in recent years in the disputed
South China Sea, the leading edge of Beijing’s move to expand its
regional sphere of control.
China held its own large-scale drills around the Paracel Islands in the
South China Sea through Sunday, where it has built missile bases, radar
facilities and an airfield. Vietnam and Taiwan also claim the Paracels.
The Navy frequently sails through the South China Sea to challenge
Beijing’s territorial claims, but an escalation of friction between the
superpowers over trade, spying allegations and a shifting military
balance also lie behind the rare length and scale of the latest show of
American force.
“Because of the high state of our global readiness right now we have the
opportunity to extend operations with another carrier,” Rear Adm. George
M. Wikoff, commander of the strike group led by USS Ronald Reagan, said
in an interview. “To me that is quite unusual to do this amount of time
working together as a carrier strike force in this theater.”
He said the exercises would “show an unambiguous signal to our partners
and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability.”
The two carriers began joint drills in the Philippine Sea on June 28
before moving into the South China Sea on Saturday. Joint carrier
operations are typically held for a day or two when one carrier is
passing through the area where the other is deployed, Adm. Wikoff said.
An F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighter flew over the deck of the USS
Ronald Reagan on July 4.
Photo: Samantha Jetzer/U.S. Navy
The U.S. has sought to project military strength as China has emerged
from the coronavirus pandemic by pressuring countries and territories
around its periphery. Beijing has increased fighter jet flights near
Taiwan, fought a border skirmish with India and passed a
national-security law to limit Hong Kong’s autonomy.
U.S. officials say China may be trying to take advantage of the U.S.’s
struggles with the pandemic by stepping up its activity in the South
China Sea, a major global trade route.
China claims sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, its
islands and its resources. An international tribunal ruled in 2016 that
its claims—which overlap with those of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan
and the Philippines—have no legal basis.
Beijing rejected the ruling and has built military facilities on some of
the other South China Sea islands.
In late April, China said it had “expelled” a U.S. destroyer that sailed
close to the Paracel Islands. The Pentagon said the operation was
completed as planned and was followed by a further similar exercise near
the islands in late May.
“The provocative actions of the U.S. seriously violated relevant
international law norms, seriously violated China’s sovereignty and
security interests, artificially increased regional security risks, and
were prone to cause unexpected incidents,” Chinese military spokesman Li
Huamin said in a statement following the April operation.
Beijing had no immediate official reaction to the latest U.S. drills,
but Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday: “The
fundamental cause of instability in the South China Sea is the
large-scale military activities and flexing of muscles by some
nonregional country that lies tens of thousands of miles away.”
Allies of the U.S. have joined some of its recent naval exercises in the
South China Sea, including live-fire drills with the Australian navy in
April and maneuvering training with Japan’s navy in June.
Oriana Skylar Mastro, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise
Institute think tank in Washington who studies maritime disputes with
China, said she favored stepping up U.S. military operations with allies
in the South China Sea to resist China’s expansionism.
However, Chinese President Xi Jinping could be motivated to take bolder
military action in the region that would increase the risk of a
confrontation, “particularly if the political situation in Hong Kong
worsens, peaceful reunification with Taiwan becomes less likely, or
domestic criticism of his management of the novel coronavirus outbreak
increases,” Ms. Mastro said.
The joint operations between the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Nimitz in the
South China Sea are the first time the U.S. has held training with two
carriers in the area since 2014.
“Working together with another carrier strike group provides advanced
opportunities to conduct high-end training that increases our
warfighting readiness,” Rear Adm. James A. Kirk, commander of the strike
group led by USS Nimitz, said in a statement.
During the exercises, F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters from each ship
simulated attacks with air-to-surface missiles, while EA-18G Growler
electronic warfare jets took part in drills to jam enemy communications.
The aircraft were also used to simulate attacks against the carrier
strike group to test defenses.
Four guided-missile cruisers and destroyers accompanying the aircraft
carriers took part in drills designed to detect and intercept threats.
The length of the drills and the focus on defense is also a recognition
of the rapid development of Chinese military power. China’s first
home-built aircraft carrier entered service late last year.
“We like to really stress ourselves to fly a higher tempo set of
operations, so the 24-hour clock is something different and good for our
team to see, building our overall confidence in our capabilities,” Adm.
Wikoff said.
Write to Alastair Gale at alastair.gale-at-wsj.com
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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