China-US military relations challenged

China and the US are flirting with military conflict after last week’s confrontation between US Navy Impeccable and Chinese vessels in the South China sea. The Defense department says the US Impeccable was operating legally according to international law, 120 km off China’s Hainan island in international waters. The Chinese Defense Ministry says the vessel was in China’s economic zone and needed permission. The issue here is not just two different definitions of territory, but also an indication of China’s growing military capabilities and willingness to safeguard its national interests, according to an Asia Times article. The US, among other countries, considers the area in the South China Sea to be part of international waters and China claims an economic zone extending 200 nautical miles from its coast. The incident recalls a similar 2001 incident which occurred in the same territory at the start of the Bush presidency when a US spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter. The Chinese claim the US Impeccable was spying, the Americans say the vessel had civilian workers who were surveying the ocean floor. Hainan island has a submarine base where China’s most sophisticated navy vessel rests.

Despite potential for a larger spat, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Wednesday, and US President Barack Obama met with Yang on Thursday. Neither side has retracted statements but it seems that both countries value cooperation over confrontation at the moment.

Links and sources:

Naked aggression, The Economist

China-US spat a drop in the ocean , Asia Times