PLA navy operations abide by international law: experts

Western countries’ use of the legitimate presence of Chinese naval ships in international waters to preach their “China threat” theory will not aff ect China’s operations, Chinese military experts said.

A Chinese navy ship, which Western countries claim is a “spy” ship, sailed off the Australian coast near large war games between the US, New Zealand and Australian militaries, Reuters reported Saturday, citing a statement from the Australian Defense Force ( ADF).

The Chinese ship remained outside Australian territorial waters but was inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone in the Coral Sea, the ADF’s statement said.

“The vessel’s presence has not detracted from the exercise’s objectives,” Reuters quoted the ADF as saying.

The biennial joint military exercise Talisman Sabre involves more than 30,000 defense personnel from the three countries, which will end in late July, Reuters reported.

“Calling China’s navy vessel a ‘ spy’ ship to monitor military drills is an exaggeration, claim since the sailing of the Chinese ship inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone is consistent with international law,” Li Jie, a Beijing- based naval expert, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Li said that Chinese ships usually sail in international waters or within exclusive economic zone of a country for peaceful purposes, such as for oceanographic research, which will not threaten regional security.

This was not the fi rst time that Western media speculated about Chinese naval ships. On July 14, CNN quoted US offi cials as saying that a Chinese “spy” ship had sailed in international waters off the coast of Alaska to observe the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system test.

“Western countries like the US are trying to hype the ‘ China threat’ theory and continue its rebalance to the Asia- Pacifi c region,” Li said, adding that China’s normal operations will not be obstructed.

Australian media reported that a Chinese spy ship was detected in the waters off Queensland where the joint military drill Talisman Sabre between the US, New Zealand and Australia was being held.

The Australian Defense Force said in a statement that “the Chinese ship remained outside Australian territorial waters, but was inside the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone in the Coral Sea. The vessel’s presence has not detracted from the exercise objectives. Australia respects the rights of all states to exercise freedom of navigation in international waters in accordance with international law.”

However, Australian media were shrill on the issue, claiming the navigation by the Chinese spy ship was “aggressive” and “worrying.” While staunchly supporting US “freedom of navigation ( FON)” operations in the South China Sea, Australian media outlets are startled at, and are unwilling to accept, the “sudden” appearance of the Chinese spy ship in their adjacent waters. European public opinion also felt unease as Chinese warships steamed through the English Channel and entered into the Baltic Sea for joint military drills with Russia. A sense of vigilance has arisen spontaneously among NATO countries.

While the US and its allies always conduct joint patrols unilaterally in the South China Sea, China’s naval vessels and spy ships have now started to appear in the waters signifi cant to the West. Obviously, this is just a beginning of China’s future operations.

This shift will provide both sides more perspectives from which to view FON operations. For instance, Australians may gradually realize the seriousness of the South China Sea issue and thus understand Chinese vigilance, and Chinese may become more confi dent in face of US patrols and provocations.

There’s an essential diff erence between a Chinese spy ship’s low- key presence in Australia’s adjacent waters and US warships sailing within 12 nautical miles of China’s Nansha and Xisha islands. China- Russia joint drills in the Baltic Sea have brought about different military eff ects from US drills in the South China Sea as well. Reactions by the Australian and European public were surprising to Chinese.

This teaches China that patrolling in Western waters may be an ideal response to Western interventions in the South China Sea issue. China should speed up the construction of its blue water navy.

In mid July, American media reported that a Chinese spy ship sailed within 100 miles of Alaska to witness the re- cent test of a THAAD anti- ballistic missile system. The Pentagon is suspected to have used the news as excuse to raise its budget. In the future, Chinese warships should be able to go to waters off Guam, Hawaii, the Caribbean Sea, or even to the San Diego base on the US West Coast. Such trips will be much more useful than only condemning US warships fl exing their muscles in the South China Sea.

While China remains strategically moderate and has no intention to pursue maritime hegemony, it will not allow an aggressive US and its allies to push the frontline of their geopolitical machinations further into our court.

China will build more warships and meanwhile make full use of them. The PLA Navy has a mission to safeguard China’s national security. Now it is time to explore new ways to carry out such a mission.