Published on May 13, 2015 at 6:51
Washington: Pentagon is thinking to send military aircraft and ships to maintain freedom of navigation around the dispute mounted Chinese-made artificial islands in the South China Sea.
The report is as per the information received from the US officials.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has proposed options which include the sending of U.S. military ships and aircraft within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of reefs that China has constructed in the disputed Spratly Islands located in the South China Sea.
The proposed move from the Pentagon would directly challenge Chinese efforts to expand its influence in the disputed region.
In the south china sea region, China is literally creating territory through a massive island-building exercise.
An US official said that they were considering to establish freedom of navigation in an area highly important to global trade.
But according to him, the proposed options were to be approved by the US government.
Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy spokesman Zhu Haiquan has categorically pointed out the indisputable sovereignty of China over the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) and surrounding waters.
According to him, the constructions carried out by China in the Island were reasonable, justifiable and lawful.
In the year 2013 Japan and the United States were condemned China for imposing an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea.
Video on Pentagon’s proposal to send ships and planes to disputed south China sea Island