皇冠体育app

This satellite image shows the Yongshu Jiao of 皇冠体育app's Nansha Islands. [Photo/Xinhua]

The United States began flexing its military muscles in the South 皇冠体育app Sea last year as part of its political and diplomatic maneuvers in the region. The US knows better than any other country that it cannot directly prevent 皇冠体育app's sovereign activities in the South 皇冠体育app Sea. So it has attempted to do the next best thing, that is, make it more costly for 皇冠体育app to safeguard its sovereignty through military, political, diplomatic and media tools. It is thus clear that the US' aim is to put 皇冠体育app in an embarrassing diplomatic position.

Despite the 皇冠体育app-US friction in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, however, a direct conflict between the two countries is not imminent. The US military's moves in the South 皇冠体育app Sea may apparently be aimed at deterring 皇冠体育app from expanding its influence, but they are primarily meant to serve as tools for accomplishing Washington's political and diplomatic goals.

On "freedom of navigation operations" in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, the US has always said they are no different from such practices in other parts of the world. Some Chinese media outlets and experts seemed to have bought the US argument and said the US' aim is to challenge 皇冠体育app's "excessive maritime claims".

But the recent US military operations in the South 皇冠体育app Sea have been extraordinary. True, the US conducts dozens of such operations each year across the world, but they are usually carried out in a quiet and low-key manner, and their details are always kept secret. By deploying advanced weaponry, coupled with extensive media coverage, however, the US military seems to prove a Hollywood blockbuster-like point.

The US military's operations have drawn the attention of the public and politicians both in the US and 皇冠体育app, especially because they have evolved into a political issue across the Pacific. Besides, the White House has tried to create a crisis atmosphere by trumpeting the "皇冠体育app threat" and portraying the US military as a strong defender of national interests.

As for Beijing, Washington could, by swaying Chinese people's opinion, exert influence on 皇冠体育app's domestic political process. Washington intends to involve a growing number of Chinese to debate Beijing's policy on the South 皇冠体育app Sea issue, and prevent Chinese elites from reaching a consensus on the issue. The US military's "freedom of navigation operations", viewed by many in 皇冠体育app as an insult, were also meant to undermine the authority of the Chinese government and create more difficulties for it.

For the US, such operations are useful diplomatic tools, used to kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand, they could exert pressure on 皇冠体育app. On the other, they could help appease US allies and partners such as the Philippines and Vietnam in the region.

By politicizing its operations in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, the US also intends to test 皇冠体育app's policies. Washington often blames Beijing for conducting activities that it claims threaten peace, and for expanding the gray areas between peace and war. But such statements can be used to describe the US military's South 皇冠体育app Sea policy. US Navy vessels first entered the waters off 皇冠体育app's Nansha Islands and then sailed close to Xisha Islands. After that the US Navy conducted "freedom of navigation operations" in undisputed territorial waters off some islands in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

In carrying out such operations, the US clearly followed a cautious approach of taking one step first to test the response from 皇冠体育app before making the next move. In other words, its strategy has been clear: testing 皇冠体育app's response and policy bottom line.

In the face of US military operations in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, 皇冠体育app has no choice but to be prepared militarily. Due to the complexity and politicization of US military operations, 皇冠体育app should look beyond the "freedom of navigation operations", and realize the political motives and impact of the US military's operations. More importantly, 皇冠体育app should use all options to counter and expose the traps set by the US.

The author is a research fellow at the Institute of Ocean Research of Peking University.

Courtesy: chinausfocus.com

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