South China Sea patrols to stay, U.S. says

Officer on USS Vinson cites international law

ABOARD USS CARL VINSON, Philippines — U.S. forces are undeterred by China’s military buildup on man-made islands in the South China Sea and will continue patrolling the strategic, disputed waters wherever “international law allows us,” said a Navy officer aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier brimming with F-18 fighter jets.

The Navy has carried out patrols at sea and in the air in the region for 70 years to promote security and guarantee the unimpeded flow of trade that’s crucial for Asian and U.S. economies, Lt. Cmdr. Tim Hawkins said on the USS Carl Vinson.

“International law allows us to operate here, allows us to fly here, allows us to train here, allows us to sail here, and that’s what we’re doing and we’re going to continue to do that,” Hawkins said Saturday on the 95,000-ton warship, anchored at Manila Bay on a visit to the Philippines.

When President Donald Trump came to power, Southeast Asian officials were uncertain how deeply the U.S. would get involved in the overlapping territorial claims involving China and its Southeast Asian neighbors. Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, was a critic of China’s aggressive actions, including the construction of seven man-made islands with troops, hangers, radar and missile stations and three long runways.

China claims the South China Sea almost in its entirety and has challenged the U.S. naval supremacy in the western Pacific.

In January, China accused the U.S. of trespassing when the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Hopper sailed near the Chinese-guarded Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing wrestled from the Philippines in 2012. After voicing a strong protest, China said it would take “necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty.