2016年CRI US Incursion Aimed at Renewing Tension: Experts

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In the latest move to conduct what it calls Freedom of Navigation exercises, the U.S. Navy sent a guided-missile destroyer, the Curtis Wilbur, to sail within 12 nautical¹ miles of Zhongjian Dao in the Xisha Islands chain on Saturday without authorization². 

The incident took place just days after U.S. Pacific Commander Harry³ Harris vowed⁴ to continue to challenge China's position on the South China Sea during a speech to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. 

Chinese military observer Song Zhongping said one of the US' goals is to bring tension back to the region. 

"Obviously, the provocation⁵ was aimed at plunging⁶ the South China Sea into chaos⁷ again and it is expected to help the US to profit from the escalating⁸ tensions." 

The US has sent warships⁹ or aircraft into Chinese-controlled waters or airspace a number of times since late last year. 

In October, the US Navy sent a guided missile destroyer Lassen within 12 nautical miles of the Nansha Islands. 

And in December, two U.S. bombers¹⁰ flew into the airspace over a Chinese-controlled island and reef in the same waters. 

Liang Fang¹¹, with the PLA National Defense¹² University, said Washington aims to test Beijing in relation to the sea. 

"Washington aims to test Beijing's bottom line on the sea and is also attempting to defy China's sovereignty over the waters. Its logic¹³ is that if the US ships can enter waters off Xisha Islands where China has demarked territorial¹⁴ waters, they can do the same to the Nansha Islands where no baseline has been announced so far."

Liang Fang said renewing the tension will also showcase US support to some countries that have disputes against China on the South China Sea. 

Saturday's incursion saw Chinese troops on the islands, as well as Chinese Naval¹⁵ vessels¹⁷ and warplanes, take immediate¹⁸ action to identify and verify the U.S. vessel¹⁶ before demanding it leave. 

Liang Fang defended the measures taken by the Chinese troops.

"Any ship needs to apply for an approval before entering the territorial waters of a foreign country. A country can choose not to rectify¹⁹ the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. But it doesn't mean that this country can defy the law and send its vessels into other countries' territorial waters without authorization." 

At the same time, Liang Fang suggested China should stick to its construction plan for the South China Sea and take further countermeasures in case of provocation. 

For CRI, this is Li Jianhua.