Manila Bulletin

‘US presence matters,’ claims US Navy admiral

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ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON (AFP) — With a deafening roar the fighter jets catapulted off the US aircraft carrier and soared above the disputed South China Sea, as its admiral vowed that the mighty ship’s presence was proof America still had regional clout.

“US presence matters,” Rear Admiral John Fuller told reporters on board the USS Carl Vinson. “I think it’s very clear that we are in the South China Sea. We are operating.”

The Carl Vinson, one of the US Navy’s longest-serving active carriers, is currently conducting what officials say is a routine mission through the hotly contested waters where years of island reclamatio­n and military constructi­on by Beijing has rattled regional nerves.

Following criticism that the

Trump administra­tion’s commitment to the Asian region has been distracted by North Korea, reporters were flown onto the ship Wednesday as it sailed through the sea.

In a rapid series of take-offs and landings, F18 fighter jets roared off the deck, travelling from zero to 290 kilometres (180 miles) per hour in a dizzying two seconds.

Fuller, commander of the Carl Vinson Strike Group, said the 333-meter(thousand-foot-) long ship’s presence was a way to reassure allies.

“The nations in the Pacific are maritime nations,” he said. “They value stability... That’s exactly what we are here for. This is a very visible and tangible presence. The United States is here again.”

China challenged

But the location of the strike group – which includes a carrier air wing and a guided-missile cruiser – is also a very direct message to China, whether US officials admit it or not.

Its voyage comes just a month after the Pentagon’s national defense strategy labelled China a “strategic competitor” that bullies its neighbors while militarizi­ng features in the South China Sea.

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea – believed to hold vast oil and gas deposits and through which $5 trillion in trade passes annually – and has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The Philippine­s, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei also have claims in the sea.

Compared to the 11 active aircraft carriers in the US Navy, China currently boasts just one carrier.

Last month Beijing said it had dispatched a warship to drive away a US missile destroyer which had “violated” its sovereignt­y by sailing close to a shoal in the South China Sea.

Major naval nations like the US, Britain and Australia are determined not to let China dictate who can enter the strategic waters.

Alliances shifting

Washington has announced plans for it to dock in Vietnam – a first for the communist nation which is rattled by China’s expansioni­sm in the sea and has forged a growing alliance with its former foe the US.

Britain said on Tuesday it will sail its own warship from Australia through the South China Sea next month to assert freedom of navigation rights in support of the US approach. But alliances are shifting. The Philippine­s, a US treaty ally, was once the strongest critic of Beijing’s expansioni­sm in the South China Sea, successful­ly winning a tribunal case in The Hague over their claims.

But it has changed course under President Duterte in a bid for billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment.

In Wednesday’s trip, the USS Carl Vinson hosted top Duterte aides and key Philippine military officers.

Duterte’s communicat­ions secretary Martin Andanar described the carrier as “very impressive” and its equipment “massive.”

Asked if Manila welcomed US patrols in the disputed area, Andanar told reporters: “The United States has been a big brother of the Philippine­s, a military ally.”

 ??  ?? AMERICAN PRESENCE – The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is seen as a tangible sign of American presence in the disputed South China Sea. (AFP)
AMERICAN PRESENCE – The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is seen as a tangible sign of American presence in the disputed South China Sea. (AFP)

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