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'Freedom of navigation in S China Sea remains a concern'
An aerial photo taken through a glass window of a military plane on May 11 shows China's alleged on-going reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea
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span class="inline inline-center">An aerial photo taken through a glass window of a military plane on May 11 shows China's alleged on-going reclamation of Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. (Ritchie B. Tongo/Pool Photo via AP)
Ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea remains a key security concern for naval forces in the region, a senior US military official said Monday.
Speaking to media at the opening of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise with Brunei, Rear Admiral Charles Williams said countries in the region share a common mission to maintain a 'safe and secure operating environment for our maritime interests'.
'The South China Sea represents a strategic waterway for all the maritime nations,' said Williams, who is the Commander of Logistics Group Western Pacific and US Navy's Singapore Area Coordinator.
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea ' through which more than $5 trillion of world trade passes annually ' overlapping with the claims of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan.
The dispute has stoked political tensions and caused tense stand-offs between military forces.
One of the vessels involved in the CARAT exercise, the USS Lassen, last week sailed within 12 nautical miles of China's man-made islands in the Spratly archipelago, provoking outrage from Beijing.
The Chinese government has accused the United States of engaging in a 'harmful game of brinkmanship' mounted to flex American military might at its doorstep.
Williams said US naval vessels will continue to patrol in the South China Sea, wherever international law permits.
'The USS Lassen'¦ has been operating in Southeast Asia for many years. Much like the US Navy, what she has been doing is operating and sailing in international waters,' he said yesterday.
'The United States as a maritime nation and a Pacific nation has been present in the region for decades'¦. This is our third decade doing CARAT with Brunei. So it's that persistent presence that helps us address those threats.'
The bilateral CARAT exercise will last 10 days and involve hundreds of personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and US Navy and Marine Corps.
Williams added that Royal Brunei Navy also recently completed the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise ' aimed at addressing maritime security challenges ' with naval forces from the US, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
The US Department of Defense has said it plans to move 60 per cent of its air and naval forces to the Pacific-Indian Ocean area by 2020, as part of President Barack Obama's 'rebalance towards Asia'. (kes)(+)
