According to CNN. the Pentagon is considering deploying surveillance aircraft and ships in the South China Sea in order to send a warning message to Beijing concerning China’s claims over disputed islands in this region.
The South China Sea region and its reefs and rocks is the subject of numerous territorial claims. China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam all dispute the sovereignty of several reefs and rock chains in the South China Sea and nearby waters.
There are disputes concerning both the status of the Spratly and the Paracel islands. China occupies seven reefs and rocks in the Spratly Islands and has been working on several reclamation projects trying to build permanent military facilities here.
In total China has been working on six land reclamation projects in this area since 2013: Kennan and Burgos reefs, Johnson reefs, as well as Mischief and Fiery Cross reefs are among them.
Especially the last one is going to become a major Chinese base in the region, which will be able to accommodate warships, oil tankers, replenishments ships, a military garrison and aircrafts.
The total cost of the construction of the base at Fiery Cross reefs will be 5 billion US dollars and it will take 10 years. If the USA eventually decides to send surveillance aircrafts and warships in this region it will be a change of the US policy since until now the U.S has avoided overtly taking sides.
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes and a strategic sea passage between the rich economies of Northeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Almost 50% of global oil-tanker shipments pass through its waters and large oil and gas reserves are believed to lie beneath its seabed.
The CNN article provoked the reaction of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the spokesperson of the Ministry, Hua Chunying, stating to the state-run Xinhua news service that while Beijing supports freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, the U.S. must be careful in how it uses that right.
“Freedom of navigation does not give one country’s military aircraft and ships free access to another country’s territorial waters and airspace” Hua is quoted as saying in the Xinhua report.