Pentagon removes China from major US military exercise

Beijing's "destabilising behaviour" in the strategically vital South China Sea is signalling fresh strain in bilateral ties, Pentagon cited

The US has withdrawn an invitation to China to participate in the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise, the Pentagon announced on Thursday, citing Beijing's "destabilising behaviour" in the strategically vital South China Sea, signalling fresh strain in bilateral ties.

Held every two years and based in Hawaii, the Rim of the Pacific exercise (RIMPAC) involves more than 20 countries from across the world, including Australia, India, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The decision to withdraw the invitation to the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) this summer was made by US Defense Secretary James Mattis in coordination with the White House, according to a US official, after Beijing's recent deployment of missile systems and the first landing of a Chinese strategic bomber on an island in the South China Sea, reports PTI.

Asserting that the US is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Pentagon said China's continued militarisation of disputed features in the South China Sea only serve to raise tensions and "destabilise" the region.

"As an initial response to China's continued militarisation of the South China Sea, we have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise. China's behaviour is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the RIMPAC exercise," Lt Col Christopher B Logan said.

The Department of Defense, he said, has strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and electronic jammers to contested features in the Spratly Islands region of the South China Sea.

Logan said China's landing of bomber aircraft at Woody Island has also raised tensions.

"While China has maintained that the construction of the islands is to ensure safety at sea, navigation assistance, search and rescue, fisheries protection and other non-military functions, the placement of these weapon systems is only for military use," he said.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea but Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims. The strategic South China Sea is rich in energy reserves, fishery resources and is a busy shipping route.

The Pentagon called on China to remove the military systems immediately and to reverse course on the militarisation of the disputed South China Sea features.

"We believe these recent deployments and the continued militarisation of these features is a violation of the promise that President Xi made to the United States and the World not to militarise the Spratly Islands," Logan said.