“If international law is disregarded, it will be a free-for-all in this region where disputes are settled by force. As the biggest military power in the region, this would naturally encourage more assertive action by China and maybe even an arms race.”
Over the weekend, China accused the United States of violating its sovereignty. In disputed islands east of the Philippines, the US conducted what they call an “innocent passage” patrol. In response, China sent a guided missile destroyer to identify and shadow the ship until it left what they claim is their sovereign territory, and they warned that they will use necessary force to protect their sovereignty.
This has continued the friction in the region for years and led to accusations that Trump is being needlessly reckless by provoking China. They argue that America has hundreds of bases across the world, and we are needlessly provoking China with these operations. But those arguments fail to understand Chinese provocation in the region and the role that Freedom of Navigation patrols have in keeping the peace.
To put it simply, artificially island building in the middle of nowhere doesn’t make it sovereign. After losing the court case regarding the disputed islands, China used their new advanced weapons systems in the East China Sea. Near the disputed Senkaku Islands, they practiced locating and sinking a ship as an obvious message to Japan, which approved of the ruling.
If international law is disregarded, it will be a free-for-all in this region where disputes are settled by force.
Japan has had to launch their fighter planes more than 200 times this year alone in response to Chinese provocation. Japanese fishermen, operating legally in international waters or in their exclusive economic zone, have been harassed by Chinese naval vessels as well.
China has illegally built up many islands and placed advanced radar systems, anti-air batteries, shipping docks mooring blue-water battle ships, submarine bases, and large runways that can support their advanced fighters (which are built using stolen technology from the F-22 and F-35). They are doing this in the Spratly Islands and other islands in the South China Sea that are vigorously disputed. (It’s true that other nations have done so as well, but not to the extent that China has and definitely not with the same degree of militarization).
When the US performs a Freedom of Seas operation, such as the one that supposedly provoked China this week, the patrols send an important signal of strength and peace. Because the islands are disputed, the US performs these operations to reaffirm the importance of international law. These prevent the de facto recognition of this territory as China’s.
If China aggressively controls this territory, they could easily cut off shipping in the region, through which almost half of the world’s merchant fleet passes, and bully their neighbors.
If international law is disregarded, it will be a free-for-all in this region where disputes are settled by force. As the biggest military power in the region, this would naturally encourage more assertive action by China and maybe even an arms race. If China aggressively controls this territory, they could easily cut off shipping in the region, through which almost half of the world’s merchant fleet passes, and bully their neighbors.
That’s why the navy and Trump administration say they will stand for the rights to sail in international waters. They are not picking a fight with China (though these Freedom of the Seas operations do have some danger) but simply reasserting basic rights of international law that China is actively threatening.
Supporting international law is something most Republicans are accused of ignoring in favor of their cowboy diplomacy. But Trump actually uses the navy to support international law as an important mechanism leading to peace.
