The tensions in the South China Sea have escalated once again as the USS Gabrielle Giffords, an Independence-class littoral combat ship, conducted combined operations with the Philippine Navy in the disputed waters. The recent activities in the South China Sea have drawn sharp criticism from China, with a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman going as far as to say that the US is the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region.
The USS Gabrielle Giffords’ operations came just days before it sailed past the Second Thomas Shoal, which has been at the center of recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels. The Philippines has stationed troops at the shoal since 1999, deliberately grounding the BRP Sierra Madre, a second world warship, there.
The US Navy, however, maintains that these operations are routine and consistent with international law. Megan Greene, a public affairs officer from the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, described the actions of the USS Gabrielle Giffords as part of the US commitment to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
The South China Sea has been a hotspot of tensions, with overlapping territorial claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. An arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in 2016 that China’s extensive claims to the waters, marked by the so-called nine-dash line, conflicted with international law. However, China has refused to accept the ruling.
The recent activities of the USS Gabrielle Giffords have raised concerns about the potential for further escalation in the region. Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, believes that Beijing may see the US operations as a prelude to more explicit support for the Philippines carrying out large-scale construction activities near the Second Thomas Shoal.
In response to the recent operations, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin criticized the Philippines for making “irresponsible remarks about lawful and legitimate acts by Chinese boats” in the region. This comes after last month’s exchange of accusations between Beijing and Washington when China’s military claimed to have driven away a US warship in the contested South China Sea.
As tensions continue to simmer in the South China Sea, the US Navy’s operations and China’s assertive presence in the region have once again brought the sensitive issue of territorial disputes to the forefront of international relations.