dailycaller
Ryan Pickrell
China/Asia Pacific Reporter
4:43 PM 02/17/2018
[excerpt]
http://dailycaller.com/2018/02/17/us-navy-south-china-sea/The U.S. Navy is not leaving the South China Sea, a senior Navy officer said Saturday aboard a massive aircraft carrier armed to the teeth with American firepower.
“International law allows us to operate here, allows us to fly here, allows us to train here, allows us to sail here, and that’s what we’re doing and we’re going to continue to do that,†Lt. Cmdr. Tim Hawkins told the Associated Press aboard the Nimitz-class supercarrier USS Carl Vinson.
He stressed that the U.S. Navy has been patrolling the South China Sea for more than seven decades, securing regional peace and stability.
While the Obama administration was hesitant to challenge China’s vast territorial claims to the disputed waters, claims rejected by an international arbitration tribunal, the Trump administration has repeatedly sent destroyers and heavy bombers through the region, much to Beijing’s displeasure.
