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Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) performed its second freedom of navigation operation this week, this time difficult extreme maritime claims by Vietnam.
McCain “asserted navigational rights and freedoms close to Vietnam within the neighborhood of the Con Dao Islands within the South China Sea” in a Dec. 24 operation, U.S. seventh Fleet introduced.
“The ship performed regular operations inside Vietnam’s claimed territorial seas to problem extreme maritime claims and protect entry and navigational freedoms in line with worldwide regulation.”
On Dec. 22, McCain conducted a similar operation close to the Spratly Islands, which China, Taiwan and Vietnam all declare. And on Dec. 21, one other Japan-based U.S. destroyer, USS Mustin (DDG-89), conducted a Taiwan Strait transit to counter China’s claims to the strait.
“U.S. forces function within the Indo-Pacific area every day, as they’ve for greater than a century. They routinely function in shut coordination with like-minded allies and companions who share our dedication to uphold a free and open worldwide order that promotes safety and prosperity. All of our operations are designed in accordance with worldwide regulation and exhibit that america will fly, sail and function wherever worldwide regulation permits– whatever the location of extreme maritime claims and no matter present occasions,” reads the seventh Fleet assertion.
The U.S. has lengthy performed these freedom of navigation operations, or FONOps, in the South China Sea, although the Protection Division has over current years taken totally different approaches to speaking about them publicly based mostly on the administration’s place on China and different political elements. This yr, although, the Pentagon has been more forthright about discussing the many FONOps occurring within the area, which not solely push again in opposition to China and, on some events, Russia, but additionally in opposition to companions like Vietnam.
The next is the total statement from U.S. 7th Fleet:
SOUTH CHINA SEA – On December 24, USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) asserted navigational rights and freedoms close to Vietnam within the neighborhood of the Con Dao Islands within the South China Sea. The ship performed regular operations inside Vietnam’s claimed territorial seas to problem extreme maritime claims and protect entry and navigational freedoms in line with worldwide regulation.
U.S. forces function within the Indo-Pacific area every day, as they’ve for greater than a century. They routinely function in shut coordination with like-minded allies and companions who share our dedication to uphold a free and open worldwide order that promotes safety and prosperity. All of our operations are designed in accordance with worldwide regulation and exhibit that america will fly, sail and function wherever worldwide regulation permits– whatever the location of extreme maritime claims and no matter present occasions.
The worldwide regulation of sea as mirrored within the 1982 Regulation of the Sea Conference gives for the sure rights and freedoms and different lawful makes use of of the ocean to all nations. The USA upholds these rights and freedoms as a matter of precept to protect the liberty of the seas that’s vital to international safety, stability, and prosperity. So long as some nations proceed to claim maritime claims which are in line with worldwide regulation as mirrored within the 1982 Regulation of the Sea Conference and that purport to limit unlawfully the rights and freedoms loved by all states, america will proceed to defend the rights and freedoms of the ocean assured to all.
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