The United States will conduct freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea again, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a speech on Saturday (November 7) although he gave no timeline for any such actions.
“We’ve done them before, all over the world,” Carter said at a defense forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. “And we will do them again.”
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes every year. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan have rival claims.
“China has reclaimed more land than any other country in the entire history of the region,” Carter said.
The United States is “deeply concerned” about the extent of land reclamation and the prospect of further militarization there, which could lead to a greater “risk of miscalculation or conflict,” he said.
The United States is responding to China’s moves by putting its “best and newest” assets in the Asia-Pacific and investing in space, cyber, missile defense, and electronic warfare, he added.
Another challenge for the United States is Russia’s “provocations,” including in Europe and the Middle East, Carter said, adding that Russia has violated the sovereignty of Ukraine and is trying to intimidate Baltic states.
He also criticized Russia for prolonging Syria’s civil war, although he said it was possible Russia could play a constructive role in ending the conflict. (Reuters)
