China says US military in South China Sea not good for peace

January 25th, 2021

Awake Goy

BEIJING – The United States often sends ships and aircraft into the South China Sea to “flex its muscles” and this is not good for peace, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday, after a US aircraft carrier group sailed into the disputed waterway.

The strategic South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade flows each year, has long been a focus of contention between Beijing and Washington, with China particularly angered by US military activity there.

The US carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt and accompanied by three warships, entered the waterway on Saturday to promote “freedom of the seas”, the US military said, just days after Joe Biden became US president..

“The United States frequently sends aircraft and vessels into the South China Sea to flex its muscles,” the foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, told reporters, responding to the US mission.

“This is not conducive to peace and stability in the region.”

China has repeatedly complained about US Navy ships getting close to islands it occupies in the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan all have competing claims.

The carrier group entered the South China Sea at the same time as Chinese-claimed Taiwan reported incursions by Chinese air force jets into the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone, prompting concern from Washington.

China has not commented on what its air force was doing, and Zhao referred questions to the defense ministry.

He reiterated China’s position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that the United States should abide by the “one China” principle.

Biden’s new administration says the US commitment to Taiwan is “rock-solid”.

The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is the democratic island’s most important international backer and main arms supplier, to China’s anger.

Source

VOCI – Not Yet Uhuru: Riots in South Africa

Feds Say They Uncovered Prostitution Ring Serving Politicians, Military Officers, And Tech Execs

NSA to Sidestep Privacy Protections in Sharing Americans’ Intercepted Data with U.S. Spy Agencies

The White Horse Temple: China’s Very First Buddhist Temple

The Funeral of a Narco-Influencer Is Considered a Threat to Public Peace in Chile

North and South Dakota State Legislatures Pass Bills to Invalidate All Unconstitutional Biden Orders