The US military warned Thursday its warships would be "more assertive" in responding to violations of international law, citing in particular Beijing, which has expansionist ambitions in the South China Sea.

In a document setting objectives for the US Navy, Marines and Coast Guard for the coming years, the Pentagon stressed that several countries, notably Russia and China, "are contesting the balance of power in key regions and seeking to undermine the existing world order."

"Our globally deployed naval forces interact with Chinese and Russian warships and aircraft daily," the document said, noting their "growing aggressiveness" and calling China "the most pressing, long-term strategic threat."

The latest incident between the US and China naval forces took place in late August, when Beijing said it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago.

The Asian power claims almost all of the islands of the South China Sea, territorial claims disputed by other countries in the region including Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.

To counter China, the US has been sending ships to the region more frequently to carry out what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations.

To maintain strategic advantage over the Chinese Navy whose "battle force has more than tripled in size in only two decades," the US Navy plans to modernize with smaller, more agile and even remotely piloted ships.

US ships will also "accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in our day-to-day operations," the statement said.

For Navy Rear Admiral Jay Bynum that means being "more responsive, more assertive."

"In the past, our behavior was de-escalation. We would turn away and would minimize risk in those individual contacts," he said, noting that the Navy "might be ceding ground" with the approach.

The Pentagon document specified that the US Navy will also be more visible in the Pacific, where it will "detect and document our rivals' actions that violate international law, steal resources, and infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations."

Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Pacific Islands Forum to hold virtual climate summit
Wellington (AFP) Dec 4, 2020
Pacific island leaders will hold a virtual summit next week to demand urgent worldwide action on climate change ahead of UN-brokered talks on the issue. The Pacific's low-lying island nations are among the worst affected by global warming, threatened by rising seas and increasingly extreme cyclones. Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano said the Pacific Islands Forum - an 18-member regional grouping - had a duty to spur the world into meaningful action. "With Pacific island nations on the fr ... read more