Recently, as the US Department of Defense shot down Chinese high-altitude reconnaissance balloons and unidentified objects one after another, the US military conducted maritime exercises using aircraft carriers in the South China Sea amid rising tensions with China.
The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet has been operating the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG), the Makin Islands Amphibious Readiness Group (MKI ARG), and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) for Integrated Expeditionary Strike Force (ESF) operations in the South China Sea since the 11th (local time). announced on the 12th that it was carrying out
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers Decatur, Junghoon, and Wayne E Mayer, the amphibious assault ship Makin Island, and the 17th Aircraft Carrier Wing (CVW-17) participated in the exercise.
The 7th Fleet issued a press release and said that the operation “established a strong presence in support of peace and stability in the (Indo-Pacific) region.” “As a prepared response force, we support a wide range of missions, including marine landings, humanitarian disaster relief, and deterrence of potential adversaries through visible combat power,” said Capt. Tony Chavez, Captain of Mackin Island.
The drill came amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries after a Chinese reconnaissance balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on the 4th.
The South China Sea is a maritime passage through which goods worth 5 trillion dollars (approximately 6,300 trillion won) come and go every year, and six countries, including China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, are in conflict over territorial disputes.
China claims that 90% of the South China Sea is its territorial waters, and arbitrarily draws the “South Sea 9-dash line” and builds artificial islands to turn it into a military base.
The US government has not taken an official position on the sovereignty of the South China Sea, but insists that freedom of navigation by planes and ships must be preserved. The U.S. sends ships to the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands) every year, drawing strong opposition from China.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.