China strongly opposes US ship’s sea trespass

China on Monday declared its strong opposition to US destroyer USS Stethem’s sailing close to an island in the South China Sea, a move that was denounced by China’s foreign ministry as “serious political and military provocation.”

The People’s Liberation Army ( PLA) will strengthen its defense capability and enhance naval and air patrols to safeguard national sovereignty and safety, said Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense.

The USS Stethem sailed within 12 nautical miles ( 22 kilometers) of an island in the Xisha Islands, Fox News reported Sunday.

China dispatched three warships and fighter jets, including missile frigates Luoyang and Suqian, the minesweeper Taishan and two J- 11B fighter jets to drive the US ship away, Wu said.

China’s foreign ministry also on Monday expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the sailing, saying it is a “serious political and military provocation.”

“This time the PLA Navy sent more troops than last time ( two frigates) to drive away the US ship, suggesting that China treats the latest US Navy trespass very seriously and that the PLA Navy wants to ensure it has the advantage if a conflict accidentally happens,” Li Jie, a Beijing- based naval expert, told the Global Times on Monday.

“In other words, this is not a normal mission but a combat- ready mission,” he added.

“The US deliberately did it and refused to correct its mistake by sending a warship into China’s territorial waters again. The action has seriously harmed the strategic mutual trust between China and the US and the political environment for the development of Sino- US military ties, and damaged regional peace and stability,” Wu said.

This is not the first time a US destroyer has sailed to the disputed region since Donald Trump became US president. On May 25, the US sent a destroyer, the USS Dewey, to the South China Sea, sailing within 12 nautical miles of Meiji Reef, part of the Nansha Islands.

The US wants to gain a bargaining chip before Chinese President Xi Jinping meets his US counterpart at the G20 summit, and this is why the US Navy has been frequently provoking China in the South China Sea in recent days, Li said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping left for a state visit to Russia Monday, which will be followed by a state visit to Germany and attendance at the G20 Summit in Hamburg. Before his departure, Xi held a phone call with US President Donald Trump.

The call from Washington came on the same day as Xi’s departure for Moscow, and when juxtaposed like this, the twists and turns in the Sino- US relationship in recent weeks provide a contrast with the long- term stability of China- Russia relations. Perhaps many in China will think the US is an unreliable partner, while China and Russia are true friends.

As strategic mutual trust reaches a high level, the leaders of the two countries have met frequently. Since taking offi ce, Xi has visited Russia six times while Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met 21 times.

The two sides are not developing strategic cooperation for shortterm purposes. The China- Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has concrete content and both sides consider it their most important diplomatic asset, while their bilateral ties are a bulwark in dealing with a complex world.

Managing ties with Washington is crucial to both Beijing and Moscow; however it’s a diffi cult task for both to have a smooth relationship with the US.

Strong anti- Russian sentiment in the US has forced Trump to nearly abandon his hope for a Washington-Moscow détente. The US strategic circle is also increasingly advocating a hard- line policy toward China, arguing the engagement policy of the past decades has failed.

Up to now, Washington has not given up its attempts to “transform” Beijing. On the one hand, it coordinates with Beijing to maximize its economic interests, and on the other, strategically restrains China to ensure its absolute advantage in security.

The US holds a sophisticated attitude toward Russia as well. It attempts to squeeze Russia’s strategic space through NATO’s eastward expansion, but meanwhile doesn’t want to have a strategic showdown with the Kremlin. The Washington- Moscow relationship is always full of uncertainties.

China’s relationship with the US cannot be simplistically compared to that with Russia. The Sino- US relationship is complicated and multilayered. Their bilateral trade is one of the largest in the world, bringing concrete benefi ts to both countries, and this may explain the unique resilience of Sino- US ties under the surface tensions.

We cannot be too pessimistic or optimistic about Sino- US relations. The two powers should seek more common interests in risk management.

The China- Russia relationship is the most signifi cant factor in the current global strategic balance, and should continue to develop in the direction of an all- weather strategic partnership.

The more balanced the world is, the more active world powers will seek friendly ties with each other. Washington may someday get bored of its geopolitical calculations and divert its attention to its internal aff airs.

Managing ties with Washington is crucial to both Beijing and Moscow.