Freedom of the Seas- USS Chafee in the South China Sea
Reuters is reporting USS Chafee, a US Navy guided missile destroyer, sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Tuesday, prompting anger in Beijing. The operation is the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters.
Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chafee, conducted normal operations that challenged “excessive maritime claims” near the Paracel Islands, over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbors.
“China’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that a warship, two fighter jets and a helicopter had scrambled to warn the U.S. ship away, adding it had infringed upon China’s sovereignty and security with its “provocation”. China would further strengthen its naval and air defenses, the ministry said.
“We demand the U.S. side earnestly take steps to correct its mistakes,” it added.
China’s bluster is just writing checks they can’t afford to cash, and they know it.
Category: Politics
Ah, so! Beijing shaking in shoes now.
[I’m sorry, was that razzist?]/s
Ah, so. Desu ka.
Wrong language. Wakarimasu ka?
Xie xie.
Multi-national naval exercises every few months in the SCS…just don’t invite the PRC. They’ll get the message soon.
They can’t be allowed to make the South China Sea their private lake.
For a minute there I thought it was the USS Maddox. Must be deja vu or something.
How about the USS Turner Joy
Serious Question (for once, not being a Navy dude; is that great big US Flag a Battle flag or just a great big Here I Am sign?
Take your prick. Seriously, however, there IS such a thing as a battle flag. Usually, with a Navy ship it’s the Union Jack or a variant thereof.
Thank You Ex-PH2. 🙂 I read way too much, and had gotten the impression that most navies have a great big FRAK YOU flag that is raised just before going into a battle.
Fasinating to watch all the florescent sea life at nite from the fantail of a proud warship in the South China Sea.
Fasinating to watch all the florescent sea life at nite from the fantail of a proud warship in the South China Sea.
Same thing on the fantail of the OKIE 3 steaming down in the Caribbean at night.
Sort of a way of saying:
Howdy neighbor! A handful of our Tin Cans took on the main force of the IJN, kicked in their teeth, and kept on kicking until the IJN called it quits.
Y’all rate -one- Tin Can. Don’t make us send two.
“Just be glad we only sent 1 destroyer. Next time It might be an entire CVBG.”
I think they are annoyed with us because we did -not- send a battle group.
They are all about “face” and being respected as the world power of the region.
Sending one destroyer may have been seen, to them, as if Barney Fife was sent, alone, to show police presence to a huge biker rally.
We said “you don’t rate”, and they felt disrespected. Worse, they know their neighbors and the whole world saw it.
They are working on changing that, which may get messy. But the old saw still fits: “Be careful what you wish”.
Those nasty Chinesers have written off this patrol as a navigational error and are just glad that this swabbie didn’t hit anything!
“We demand the U.S. side earnestly take steps to correct its mistakes,” it added.”
The Chinese worry about losing face, the USN appears to be navigating whilst “off it’s face.”
Meanwhile, in the real world, the US Navy is releasing division commanders because their destroyers are ramming cargo ships, while sober historians recall the braggadocio displayed the months before Pearl was attacked, and the Navy found out just how good the IJN really was.