McCain: U.S. should ignore China’s claims in South China Sea

Pressed as to the last time U.S. Navy ships did enter the waters within 12 miles of the artificial islands, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs David Shear told McCain that had happened in 2012.

“We continue to operate freely in the South China Sea and continue to prevent the Chinese from coercing our allies and partners into crafting deals that are not in their interest or in our interest with regard to claims in the South China Sea”, Shear said.

Admiral Harry Harris told a Senate hearing on Thursday that China’s building of three airfields on the islands and their further militarisation was of great concern militarily and posed a threat to all countries in the region. But he argued that the USA has not been “asserting our rights just as forcefully”.

This heated war of words has kicked off just before Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the United States for a week.

Senators peppered Harris and Shear with questions about whether the Pentagon has asked the White House for permission to sail within 12 miles of the manufactured islands and what the answer has been.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China was “extremely concerned” about the comments and China opposed “any country challenging China’s sovereignty and security in the name of protecting freedom of navigation”.

“We’re looking at them, and now increasingly they are looking at us”, one retired Asian-based naval officer said of China’s growing undersea operations.

The Pentagon report said four Jin-class submarines were operational, with a fifth expected to be added.

On Tuesday, a USA expert said China was carrying out land reclamation in the South China Sea this month, more than four weeks after saying it had stopped such activity, citing recent satellite images.

“If you respect the 12 [nautical] mile limit then it’s a de facto sovereignty, agreed to by the Chinese”, he said.

Senator Dan Sullivan pointed to Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s public statement on Wednesday that the U.S. will not be deterred in ensuring freedom of navigation in the region.

Under the Law of the Sea, ships have the right of “innocent passage” through the territorial seas of a coastal state, so China’s actions were deemed not to have violated global law.

“They were having an exercise with the Russians and I think the exercise was long-planned and then they made a decision to go into the Bering Sea”.