Gunboat diplomacy

If Beijing continues to build artificial islands with potential military uses in contested parts of the South China Sea, then the United States will not sit idly by and uphold freedom of navigation in international waters. 

           

That, in essence, is the strong message sent by the presence of a guided missile destroyer of the US Navy in the area yesterday. The USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef. The patrol, which lasted a few hours, also included Mischief Reef.

           

This, according to Washington, would be the start of a series of challenges to China’s territorial claims in one of the world’s busiest sea lanes.

           

This latest demonstration of gunboat diplomacy is necessary in light of Beijing's  insistence that it owns almost all of the South China Sea based on a dubious "nine-dash line" historical claim.

           

While the conspicuous display of US naval power has prompted an angry rebuke from Beijing, it remains to be seen whether the Chinese government would decide to establish a stronger military presence in the area, or stop its territorial expansion activities altogether.

           

We hope Beijing realizes that its aggressive expansionism in the South China Sea heightens the possibility of armed conflict, and urge the Chinese leadership to uphold the code of conduct among claimant countries based on the rule of law. 

Image by: www.rt.com