US And China Set For Showdown In The South China Sea.

Submitted by IWB, on October 12th, 2015 

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The United States Navy is reported to be about to send warships to breach the 12-nautical mile exclusion zone around reclaimed islands constructed by China in the South China Sea, an action which, if carried out, would threaten a direct military confrontation with the Beijing regime.

Reports of the planned US move were carried by the US Navy Times and the London-based Financial Times. According to the latter’s report, “a senior US official” said the warships would “sail inside the 12-nautical mile zones that China claims as territory around some of the islands it has constructed in the Spratly chain. The official, who did not want to be named, said the manoeuvres were expected to start in the next two weeks.”

The newspaper reported that US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter had been pressing for such action for some months but had only received final agreement from the White House following Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to the US last month.

The Navy Times report was somewhat less definitive, saying it had been told by three Pentagon officials on background that the Navy was preparing to send a surface ship inside the 12-mile limit, possibly “within days,” and was only awaiting final approval.

The official Chinese response at this stage has been somewhat muted. Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the South China Morning Post that she hoped the US could view the situation in the South China Sea from an “objective and fair perspective” and play a constructive role with China in maintaining stability in the region.

Other sources cited by the newspaper pointed to the possibility of a direct military clash if the US action went ahead.

Shanghai-based naval expert Ni Lexiong said the Chinese navy “would issue verbal warnings demanding the US vessels leave.”

Li Jie, a Beijing naval expert, said China would send warships to intercept the vessels if they ignored the warnings.

The Post cited a source “close” to the Chinese military as saying Beijing had more “cost effective” responses. “We could scramble drones to expel the vessels, or simply order the Second Artillery Corps to fire from distance,” he said.

However, any military action by China, even in a limited form, would be almost certain to bring a major escalation by the US.