U.S. media reports have said that the United States will imminently send patrols in areas claimed by china in disputed territories of the South China Sea.
A U.S. defense official said last Thursday (October 8) that Washington is considering sailing warships close to china’s artificial islands to signal it does not recognize Chinese territorial claims over the area.
The financial times newspaper cited a senior U.S. official as saying U.S. ships would sail within 12-nautical-mile zones that china claims as territory around islands it has built in the Spratly chain.
China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims.
U.S. president Barack Obama said he told Chinese President Xi Jinping he had “significant concerns” about the islands when Xi made his first state visit to Washington late in September.
Xi said at the time China had no intention to militarize the islands, but Washington analysts and U.S. officials say China has already begun creating military facilities, and the only question is how much military hardware it will install.
The move to send U.S. patrols in the area is set to challenge china’s stance.
The territorial dispute is seen by many as one of Asia’s most dangerous hot spots, posing risks that it could result in conflict as countries stakes their claims.
