US Navy conducts maritime exercise in South China Sea amid growing US-China tension

A US Navy aircraft carrier conducted maritime exercises in South China Sea on Friday, August 14. According to a statement by US Navy, strike group that carried out exercises were led by USS Ronald Ragan.

United States' flight operations and high-end maritime stability operations in highly contested waters of South China Sea comes amidst deteriorating relations between United States and China.

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Exercised deemed necessary by US Navy

As per Reuters report, Commander Joshua Fagan, Task Force 70 air operations officer onboard USS Ronald Reagan, stated that joint exercises conducted by US Navy are essential in ensuring responsiveness and lethality of joint force so as to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

While China has long laid claims to South China Sea,  United States has opposed se claims and sent warships to guard contested waters. China has staked claims to nine-tenths of South China Sea; resource-rich waters see approximately $3 trillion worth of trade pass through it every year.

Read: US Secy Of State Pompeo, Indonesian Counterpart Review Defense Ties Over South China Sea

Several or nations in region like Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam have also rejected China’s expansive territorial claims and put forward competing territorial claims of ir own.

Besides, US Navy military exercises come at a time of deteriorating relations between US and China owing to several factors. US has criticised China for its handling of COVID-19 pandemic and also openly opposed imposition of national security law in Hong Kong.

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