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The US military warned Thursday that its warships would begin to respond “stronger” to anyone who violates international law, citing Beijing in particular.
In the new naval strategy document, which sets out the objectives of the United States Navy, the “Marine Corps” and the Coast Guard for the next few years, the Pentagon stressed that several countries, mentioning the Russian Federation and China, “They challenge the balance of power in key regions, to weaken the current international order.”
In the document, where China was described as “the strongest threat”, it was specified that the US naval forces (US Navy) “have daily interactions with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft.”
The United States challenges Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The latest incident between the US and Chinese navy was in late August, when Beijing announced that it had expelled a US warship from the Chinese-controlled Paracel archipelago.
Beijing’s leaders claim almost all the islands in the South China Sea, which is contested by other riparian states (Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei).
Faced with the Chinese claims, considered excessive, Washington increasingly sends warships to the region, to carry out what it calls “freedom of navigation operations.”
To maintain its strategic advantage over the Chinese naval forces, which “have tripled in volume in 20 years,” the US Navy wants to modernize, with smaller, more agile ships and even remote pilots.
US warships will also “take calculated tactical risks and take a more affirmative stance during day-to-day operations,” the document says.
For Rear Admiral Jay Bynum, “this means being more reactive, more muscular in operations.” Before, he compared, “the attitude was to seek de-escalation. But now we turn around and minimize the risk,” he added, noting that the United States Navy was “losing ground” with that approach.
The Pentagon document detailed that the US Navy will be more visible in the Pacific, where it will endeavor to “detect and document the actions of (US) rivals that violate international law, steal the resources of others and violate their sovereignty.” “.
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