Former US Ambassador Chas Freeman claims that US naval patrols in the South China Sea threaten Chinese sovereignty and are highly likely to spark a military confrontation between the two great powers.
WASHINGTON
(Sputnik) — US naval patrols in the South China Sea threaten Chinese
sovereignty and are highly likely to spark a military confrontation
between the two great powers, former US Ambassador Chas Freeman told
Sputnik on Wednesday.
Beijing
perceives US actions, Freeman argued, as an attempt to deny China the
security in its immediate periphery that the United States demands
for itself.
"The United States cannot have it both ways," he added.
US activities in the South China Sea reflect a "ubiquitous narrative" in Washington that portrays Beijing as challenger of the international order, although, in reality, it seems as if the United States does not understand its own objectives.
China has been constructing artificial islands on top of the coral reef habitats of the Spratly Islands over the past year. Beijing claimed sovereignty over the land and the 12 nautical mile zone surrounding the islands.
The United States has repeatedly warned it does not recognize the Chinese claims of sovereignty over the man-made islands, and has raised concerns over Beijing’s activities in the region.
Ambassador Freeman served as US Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the US embassies in Beijing and Bangkok. He was the State Department's Director for Chinese Affairs and also held several senior level positions at the US Department of Defense.
"If the United States continues to press China
on this, as it says it intends to do, an eventual military clash is a
strong possibility," Freeman said. "The US Navy justifies its freedom
of navigation operations on narrow legal grounds, but the messaging
about this set of operations has constituted a broad challenge
to China's sovereignty."
On Tuesday, the head of US Navy Pacific Command said the United
States would continue military patrols in the disputed waters of the
South China Sea despite Chinese officials calling them a "blatant
provocation."US activities in the South China Sea reflect a "ubiquitous narrative" in Washington that portrays Beijing as challenger of the international order, although, in reality, it seems as if the United States does not understand its own objectives.
"Washington strikes me as confused about what
it is trying to accomplish with these sail-bys," Freeman concluded. "And
if Washington is confused, how can Beijing not be?
On Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter called on China and
other countries to halt reclamation and militarization activities in the
South Chan Sea.China has been constructing artificial islands on top of the coral reef habitats of the Spratly Islands over the past year. Beijing claimed sovereignty over the land and the 12 nautical mile zone surrounding the islands.
The United States has repeatedly warned it does not recognize the Chinese claims of sovereignty over the man-made islands, and has raised concerns over Beijing’s activities in the region.
Ambassador Freeman served as US Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the US embassies in Beijing and Bangkok. He was the State Department's Director for Chinese Affairs and also held several senior level positions at the US Department of Defense.
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