China says it warned and tracked U.S. warship in South China Sea Jim Sciutto-Profile-Image
Story highlights
- Beijing summons U.S. ambassador to China
- Chinese ambassador tells CNN the U.S. operation is "hypocritical"
- U.S. defense secretary says such missions will continue
- Chinese Defense Ministry: Two Chinese warships, aircraft monitored U.S. Navy vessel
(CNN)Chinese ships and aircraft warned and tracked a U.S. Navy warship Tuesday as it came close to reefs claimed by China in contested waters in the South China Sea.
Cui Tiankai, the Chinese ambassador to the United States, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview that the U.S. operation is "a very serious provocation, politically and militarily" and the country's foreign ministry summoned Max Baucus, the U.S. ambassador to China, to express its "strong discontent" over the patrol.
Cui said it was a clear attempt by Washington to militarize the region.
"It
is a very absurd and even hypocritical position to ask others not to
militarize the region while one's self is sending military vessels there
so frequently," he said.
A U.S. defense official told CNN that the destroyer USS Lassen "conducted a transit" within 12 nautical miles of five reefs claimed by Beijing, including Subi Reef, in the Spratly Islands on Tuesday morning.
Why are the United States and China frenemies? 02:25
The
operation put the ship within an area that would be considered Chinese
sovereign territory if the United States recognized the man-made islands
as being Chinese territory, the official said.
The
United States hadn't breached the 12-mile limit since China began
massive dredging operations to turn the reefs into artificial islands in
2014 -- even though maritime law doesn't usually accord territorial
waters to islands built on previously submerged reefs.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, testifying before a Senate panel, said the missions would continue.
"We will fly, sail and operate wherever international law permits and whenever our operational needs require," he said.
Chinese government: Don't push us
The
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of consequences if a country
caused trouble or raised tensions in the territories China claims as
its own.
Chinese Ambassador slams 'hypocritical' U.S. position 06:44
"If
any country thinks that, through some gimmicks, they will be able to
interfere with or even prevent China from engaging in reasonable,
legitimate and legal activities in its own territories, I want to
suggest those countries give up such fantasy," ministry spokesman Lu
Kang said.
"In fact, if relevant
parties insist on creating tensions in the region and making trouble out
of nothing, it may force China to draw the conclusion that we need to
strengthen and hasten the buildup of our relevant capabilities. I advise
the U.S. not to create such a self-fulfilling prophecy."
Chinese
military spokesman Col. Yang Yujun offered similarly stern words about
what he called "an abuse of freedom of navigation."
"(The U.S. action) threatened China's territorial rights and security,
endangered the safety of personnel and facilities on the artificial
island as well as that of fishery workers, and harmed regional peace and
stability," Yang said.
Rival claims
The South China Sea is the subject of rival
and often messy territorial claims, with China, Brunei, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam disputing sovereignty of island chains
and nearby waters.
In little more
than 18 months, China has reclaimed more than 2,000 acres at three main
locations in the Spratly Islands -- Subi, Mischief and Fiery Cross
reefs, where it's building airstrips thought to be capable of handling bombers.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that its activity in the South China Sea
didn't affect freedom of navigation by sea or air but said it held
"indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and its nearby
waters."
"China is resolutely opposed
to any country damaging China's sovereignty and security interest in the
name of freedom of navigation and overflight," it said.
In May, a U.S. surveillance plane carrying a CNN crew swooped over the Spratly Islands, triggering eight warnings from the Chinese navy to back off.
Chinese navy ships entered U.S. territorial waters off Alaska in September, coming within 12 miles of the coastline during President Barack Obama's visit to the state, U.S. officials told CNN at the time.
The officials said that China's actions were consistent with "innocent passage" under international maritime law.
U.S. official cites 'routine' operation
The rest of the region, wary of China's intentions in the disputed waters, is likely to welcome the U.S. move.
Japanese
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to comment but said,
"It was extremely important that the international community work
together in order to protect open, free and peaceful ocean."
Australia said it "strongly supports" the rights of all countries to travel through the South China Sea.
Taiwan
said it rejected China's claim of sovereignty over the Spratly
archipelago and called for dialogue to resolve the dispute peacefully.
A
retired admiral who formerly commanded U.S. naval forces in the Pacific
told CNN that he isn't concerned there will be a military showdown.
"Both
China and the United States recognize that this is not a reason for
getting into higher levels of conflict with each other," retired Adm. Dennis Blair told Amanpour.
"So I'm relatively sure that neither side will escalate, but that both
sides will record what's being done and stake their positions
accordingly."
Challenge?
How big is China's military? 02:20
Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at
the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said
that the U.S. operation was aimed at testing control of the seas, not
sovereignty over the disputed islands, and would present a dilemma for
China.
"It forces a clarification of China's claims. China's strategy in the South China Sea is one of ambiguity," he said.
Poling
said under maritime law, artificial islands were not usually afforded
the 12-mile territorial zone, and that the U.S. Navy deliberately chose
to send the destroyer near Subi Reef for this reason.
Before
China's recent land reclamation, both Subi and Mischief reefs were
submerged at high tide, while a sandbar was visible at high tide at
Fiery Cross Reef, which could make its legal status more ambiguous.
"So
if Beijing objects by saying to the U.S. you're in our territorial sea,
then the U.S. can respond by saying there's no such thing as a
territorial sea for an artificial island," Poling said.
He
said the decision to go ahead with the mission follows months of
discussion in Washington and likely followed Chinese President Xi
Jinping's trip there last month, which made little headway on the issue
of the South China Sea.
