Carter Reiterates Call for Peaceful Resolution in South China Sea

By Lisa Ferdinando DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, November 4, 2015 — Defense Secretary Ash Carter reiterated today the U.S. call for a peaceful resolution to the tensions in the South China Sea.

Carter spoke during a media availability at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting -- Plus in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.

"We urge all claimants to permanently halt land reclamation, stop the construction of new facilities and cease further militarization of disputed maritime features," he said.

Carter said he told the defense ministers the United States "does not take sides in these maritime disputes, but we do take the side of peaceful resolution under international law."

Several Asia-Pacific countries, including China, are involved in territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Freedom of Navigation Not New Concept

The defense secretary announced he will visit the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday, as it conducts routine operations while transiting the South China Sea.

The aircraft carrier, Carter said, is a symbol of the United States' commitment to the rebalance and the importance of the Asia-Pacific region.

The United States, he said, will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits.

"Freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce are not new concepts. They're not theoretical or aspirational goals," Carter said. "In this part of the world, these were rules that worked for decades to promote peace and prosperity."

He noted the tensions in the South China Sea were part of the discussions during meetings with his counterparts at the ASEAN meeting.

"I understand this is a difficult issue for many countries, but I'm confident that this forum will continue to play a useful role in resolving these tensions through dialogue and cooperation," the defense secretary said.

Carter said he has accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jingping to visit that nation, and looks forward to making the trip in the spring.

Rebalance to Pacific

This trip is Carter’s third to the Asia-Pacific region as defense secretary, he noted, and President Barack Obama will be traveling to that part of the world in the coming weeks.

"This is a region vital to America's future, which is why our rebalance to the Asia-Pacific remains top priority," Carter said.

The defense secretary called for an inclusive regional architecture that is strong, capable and effective enough to ensure all nations continue to rise and prosper.

To realize that, Carter said, there needs to be a security architecture that is inclusive and open.

"It should respect rights, not might. It should reward cooperation, not coercion. It should be based on international law and globally accepted norms," he said. "In that future, ASEAN will continue to play a central role."

Pacom Chief: China’s Land Reclamation Has Broad Consequences

By Terri Moon Cronk

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2015 – China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea could have far-reaching U.S. security and economic consequences by disrupting international rules and norms that have supported the global community for decades, the commander of U.S. Pacific Command said today.

In a security forum panel discussion in Aspen, Colorado, Navy Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. said China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea is an issue the American public must know about and the United States must address.

“While Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan have also conducted land reclamation in the South China Sea, their total -- approximately 100 acres over 45 years -- is dwarfed by the size, scope and scale of China’s massive buildup,” Harris said. “In only 18 months, China has reclaimed almost 3,000 acres.”

Each year, he noted, more than $5.3 trillion in global sea-based trade relies on unimpeded sea lanes through the South China Sea, adding that the Strait of Malacca alone sees more than 25 percent of oil shipments and 50 percent of all natural gas transits each day. This is made possible through the regional countries’ adherence to longstanding customary international law, which protects freedom of navigation, he added.

Fundamental to Global Economy

International recognition and protection of freedom of navigation are fundamental to the global economy and the U.S. way of life, Harris said, and unilateral attempts by any nation to disrupt freedom of navigation place the international system and global economy at risk.

“The South China Sea is front and center in the tug-of-war between the majority of regional nations that want to maintain the status quo and China that wants to change it to suit its narrow self-interest,” he said. “This is why Deputy Secretary of State [Tony] Blinken recently compared the aggressive actions of China in the South China Sea to Russia’s actions in Crimea. They both demonstrate desire by individual actors to change the status quo.”

China Not Using Diplomacy

Rather than pursing diplomatic actions to address their disputes, China is changing tactics “through aggressive coercive island building without meaningful diplomatic efforts toward dispute resolution or arbitration,” the admiral said.

Harris said China is building false sovereignty as it builds man-made islands on top of coral reefs, rocks and shoals, which destroys surrounding underwater environment.

“That severe environmental impact is one aspect of China’s land reclamation that I don’t believe has received enough attention, because protecting our fragile environment is a global responsibility,” he said. China’s has actions have led to “the most rapid rate of permanent loss of coral reef area in human history,” he added, citing University of Miami marine biologist John McManus.

And while President Barack Obama is designating an additional 490,000 square miles as marine sanctuary in the Pacific, “China’s destructive activities will result in the permanent loss of coral reef in one of the most important reef systems in the Pacific,” Harris said.

China’s Destruction Exceeds Environment

But more damage is taking place because of China’s land reclamation, the Pacom commander said. The shared principles that ensured security and prosperity in the region for decades also are threatened, he noted.

“Secretary of Defense [Ash] Carter stated at last month’s Shangri-La Dialogue that China is out of step with both the international rules and norms that underscore the Asia-Pacific’s security architecture, and the regional consensus that favors diplomacy and opposes coercion,” Harris said. “These are the reasons that the U.S. has called for peaceful resolution of South China Sea disputes, an end to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, and an immediate halt to land reclamation by all claimants.

“We call on China to use the mechanisms of international dispute resolution in good faith,” he continued, “and to abide by those decisions as so many of its regional neighbors have already done.”

China’s actions are inducing its South China Sea neighbors to build stronger relationships with each other and with the United States, the admiral said, “driven not by a sudden U.S. effort to increase stability and security within the region, but by China’s conspicuous failure to do the same.”

USS Lassen, USS Fort Worth Complete First Combined South China Sea Operations

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joe Bishop, USS Fort Worth Public Affairs

SOUTH CHINA SEA (NNS) -- The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) partnered with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) to complete their first combined South China Sea presence operations, July 9.

"Our presence operations with USS Lassen demonstrates the U.S Navy's commitment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and emphasizes our ability to conduct maritime operations freely on the high seas," said Cmdr. Rich Jarrett, commanding officer of Fort Worth. "The 16-month deployment rotation for littoral combat ships like USS Fort Worth provides persistent presence that contributes to maritime stability throughout the region."

During combined presence operations in the South China Sea, Fort Worth and Lassen conducted joint maneuvering exercises at sea, working together to seamlessly share information between the two platforms.

"It's truly an honor to be part of the first joint presence operations in the South China Sea between an LCS and DDG," said Cmdr. Robert Francis, Lassen's commanding officer. "Lassen and Fort Worth complemented each other operationally, and the crews learned many great lessons that we will share with the fleet."

Fort Worth and Lassen also conducted joint flight operations with the ships' embarked MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters providing critical maritime domain awareness for both platforms.

"LCSs are accustomed to independent steaming, so sailing with Lassen was a welcomed change to our daily routine at sea," said Cmdr. Christopher Brown, prospective commanding officer of Fort Worth. "The operating picture shared between both ships proved invaluable in increasing our situational awareness."

Presence operations also provide U.S. Navy ships the opportunity to practice the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) with other nations' ships operating in the region. Since the CUES agreement was established in April 2014, Fort Worth, Lassen and other U.S. Navy ships have been using CUES to formally communicate maneuvering intentions with ships from other navies, to minimize the risk of miscalculations at sea.

"Codified formal communications really do help eliminate miscommunications and clarify intentions between units," said Brown. "We use both CUES and plain voice on the marine [very high frequency] radio to communicate with other ships operating in this region."

The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, U.S. 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability and prevent conflict.