China warns U.S. it will not allow violations of its waters

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Reuters:

China said on Friday it would not stand for violations of its territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation, as the United States considers sailing warships close to China's artificial islands in the South China Sea.

 

A U.S. defense official told Reuters on Thursday the United States was considering sending ships to waters inside the 12-nautical-mile zones that China claims as territory around islands it has built in the Spratly chain.

 

Western media reports quoted U.S. officials as saying the action could take place within a matter of days, but awaited a decision by U.S. President Barack Obama.

 

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris, declined to say on Friday whether the United States would carry out the plan. But he made clear it was an option he had presented to Obama and said the United States must carry out freedom of navigation patrols throughout the Asia-Pacific.

 

"I simply won't discuss future operations," Harris told a Washington seminar. "With regards to whether we are going to sail within 12 miles, or fly within 12 miles, of any of the reclaimed islands that China has built in the South China Sea, I will reserve that for later."

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What could go wrong?

[Valin]

Showdown in the South China Sea
Oct. 9 2015

Rumors that the United States was considering sending warships near China’s reclaimed reefs in the South China Sea began percolating last week. The final decision to do so had been awaiting President Obama’s go-ahead for months, but had reportedly been put off in hopes of some kind of breakthrough during President Xi Jinping’s official state visit last month. But now, it appears we have confirmation that the project is a go, as the Financial Times reports that an unnamed U.S. official told the paper that the ships will be deployed within the next two weeks. More, via the http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2015/10/07/china-territory-island-dispute-south-china-sea-navy/73525862/:

(Snip)

 

 

At a hearing last month, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear confirmed that the United States has not sent patrols within 12 miles of the disputed Chinese atolls since 2012.

 

“We hope the U.S. side can objectively and fairly view the current situation in the South China Sea, and with China, genuinely play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea”, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters. Military experts close to the PLA said they expected the Chinese navy to send ships to intercept the U.S. vessels and to issue verbal warnings. Others said that the use of drones and the firing of artillery are also being considered.

(Snip)