America will continue to patrol S China Sea, says US admiral
aboard uss carl vinson (South China Sea) — A US admiral says America will continue to patrol the South China Sea to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight in the disputed region.
Rear Admiral James Kilby said on Friday on board the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson that, “We have operated here in the past, we’re going to operate here in the future, we’re going to continue to reassure our allies.”
Kilby’s comments followed reported Chinese moves to install missile defence systems on islands it recently built, and the inauguration of a new US president who has raised questions about America’s role in Asia.
The US military took a group of journalists to the aircraft carrier during a routine patrol of the South China Sea, one of the world’s security hotspots.
Meanwhile, Beijing’s escalating condemnation of South Korea over a US anti-missile system has triggered
We have operated here in the past, we’re going to operate here in the future, we’re going to continue to reassure our allies Rear Admiral James Kilby
protests against a popular retail giant and a reported ban on Chinese tour groups visiting the country, apparent signs that Beijing plans to make Seoul pay an economic price over a move that China says threatens its security.
Protests have sprung up in the last few days against Lotte Mart, a South Korean hypermarket chain that sells food, clothing, toys and electronics. Its parent company, Lotte Group, agreed Monday to provide a golf course to the government to site the system. The protests outside Lotte stores and boycotts of its products follow weeks of condemnation of the South Korean government and warnings against Lotte’s move by government officials and state media.
Seoul and Washington say the system is needed to defend against North Korea’s missile threat and is not targeted at any other regional states. China says the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence, or THAAD, threatens its security because its radars are capable of peering deep into the country’s north and parts of Russia, allowing Washington and Seoul to monitor flights and missile launches.
Asked about the protests, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Friday: “There are absolutely no anti-THAAD campaigns in China, still less violent campaigns.” He added that Beijing hoped Seoul “can heed the voice of the people and take effective measures to avoid further damage to the China-South Korea relationship.”
China is South Korea’s largest trading partner and a key source of inbound tourism, leaving it vulnerable to Chinese economic disruptions. Following weeks of rumors, South Korea’s state-run tourism agency said on Friday that travel agents in China said they had been told to stop selling group trips to South Korea.
About 8 million Chinese tourists visited South Korea last year, accounting for nearly half of the 17.2 million total foreign tourists to the country, according to the state-run Korea Tourism Organization. A survey of 6,000 Chinese tourists in 2015 found about 40 per cent came in package group tours, the tourism agency said. —