US to maintain presence in West PH Sea, says US Naval Operations chief
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Fri, 17 May 2019 10:00:50 +0000
THE United States has committed to keep its presence in the disputed South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), citing its decades-old duty of patrolling in the area.
Admiral John Richardson, US Chief of Naval Operations, said such “consistent behavior” was based on rules and added it was what the US has been advocating for.
“Our operations there have really not fluctuated much over those seven decades, including in recent times. And so, we’ll consistently be present. We have a tremendous amount of national interest,” Richardson said in a telephonic press briefing on Thursday, while he was in Tokyo, Japan.
“About a third of the world’s trade flows through the South China Sea. The United States is a maritime nation. We have a great national interest in that body of water. So, we’ll consistently be there,” he reiterated.
Richardson said that the patrols being conducted by Washington in the contested waters was only “normal” and was not intended to be provocative “in any sense.”
Over the past months, the US has been deploying some of its ships to the South China Sea, where it has conducted naval exercises with the Philippines, Japan and India and in Singapore where it participated in joint drills with other Southeast Asian nations.
China, however, has questioned the presence of the US, especially in the areas where it had built several artificial islands.
At the same time, Richardson said Indonesia and Australia must step up its operations within the disputed waters.
He said Jakarta and Canberra were both “strong advocates” in maintaining stability and security within the Indo-Pacific region. DEMPSEY REYES
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