In a surprising move, the United States has conducted a military exercise in the disputed South China Sea.
CNN has reported that the two US Navy aircraft carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Nimitz have held the first joint US exercise in the region since July 2020.
The two US Navy aircraft carriers conducted a series of exercises aimed at enhancing the coordination and command and control capabilities of the US Navy.
Such operations are intended to ensure that the US is strategically prepared to meet the challenges of maintaining peace and can continue to show allies in the region the commitment to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The South China Sea exercise took place after a US ship crossed the Taiwan Strait on February 4. The move was not welcomed by China, thus resulting in increased military tensions in the region.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin has claimed that China will continue to maintain a high level of alert, respond to all threats and provocations, and would defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
China claims sovereignty over the South China Sea. It is considered to be rich in marine and mineral resources.
The South China Sea connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and it is the world’s busiest maritime transportation channel.
Other countries and regions, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, have also put forward sovereignty claims on parts of the South China Sea.
The United States supports Taiwan’s independence, while China regards it as a separate province.
There is no doubt that the U.S. military has been very active in the South China Sea for the past few years.
The current military maneuvering by the US shows that the Biden Administration will continue to hold a tough attitude towards China.
It is assumed that two aircraft carriers of the US in the South China Sea may not stay for a long time. The move looks like putting more pressure on China.
