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Andrea Chen

Jun Mai

Beijing yesterday expressed concerns that the US Navy was reportedly preparing to send ships "within days" inside the 12 nautical-mile territorial zones China has claimed around its artificial islands in the disputed South China Sea.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China had long made clear its position on the South China Sea.

"We hope the United States can look upon the current situation of the South China Sea from an objective and fair perspective and play a constructive role together with China in keeping the peace and stability in the South China Sea," Hua said.
READ MORE: China might push on with work on South China Sea reefs despite warning from US President Barack Obama
US-based military newspaper Navy Times reported that Washington was leaning towards sending warships to the waters. It said China's reclamation projects had become a growing source of tension and posed serious threats to freedom of navigation.
Citing Pentagon officials, the report said the ships would set off "within days" of the mission getting the final approval from the Obama administration. Navy officials said they believed the approval was imminent.

The report came as Indonesian newspaper  Kompas published an opinion piece by Indonesian security chief Luhut Panjaitan in which he said the country was considering using drones and submarines to strengthen its grip over the Natuna Islands in response to China's growing military presence in the waters, Bloomberg reported.
In remarks seen as underscoring the US presence in the sea, a Washington official said yesterday that the US was helping Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries improve law enforcement in the waters
"Our cooperation will … ensure the Vietnamese coastguard, like all of the others, has the right equipment to perform its maritime missions," US State Department assistant secretary William Brownfield said. "You need the ability to get out there where the laws are being violated, by illegal fishing, by traffickers, by smugglers, or by those who are stealing national resources."
Mainland military experts said the People's Liberation Army Navy would issue warnings and there would not be collisions if foreign military vessels went within the limits. But the PLA was capable of expelling any intruders, they said.
We hope the United States can ... play a constructive role together with China in keeping the peace and stability in the South China Sea
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying
"The navy would issue verbal warnings, demanding the US vessels leave," Shanghai-based naval expert Ni Lexiong said.
Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, said the navy would send warships to intercept the US vessels if they ignored the warnings.
Another source close to the PLA said Beijing had several more "cost-effective" solutions to such a confrontation.
"We could scramble drones to expel the vessels, or simply order the Second Artillery Corps to fire from distance," he said.
Additional reporting by Associated Press


Beijing on alert for U.S. Navy 'incursion' near artificial islands in South China Sea

Hundreds of Philippine and US personnel participate in a joint naval training exercise near disputed waters in the South China Sea. Photo: EPA

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. Photo: Kyodo

US Marine snipers take position during a beach landing as part of annual joint naval exercises with the Philippines. Photo: AFP

Aussie advice: New Australian PM Turnbull tells China to stop ‘pushing the envelope’ in South China Sea

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urged Beijing not to disturb the security in the region. Photo: EPA

An aerial photo taken from a Philippines military plane shows the alleged on-going land reclamation by China on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

The alleged reclamation by China on what is internationally recognised as the Johnson South Reef in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

Mischief Reef is shown in this handout satellite image dated September 8, 2015. China's apparent construction of a third airstrip on its man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea could fill a gap in Beijing's anti-submarine defenses, complicating operations for the U.S. Navy and its allies. Photo: Reuters

From cybersecurity to South China Sea territorial disputes: 5 big challenges and outcomes in Sino-US relations

China, the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, is struggling to deal with the mounting affects of pollution at home. Photo: AP

China’s faltering economy and perceived slow progress on market reforms are major concerns for global investors. Photo: Reuters

China and the US have now pledged to not commit or knowingly support cybertheft. Photo: SCMP Pictures

An investor sits in front of an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Beijing of Friday. China experienced a market crash this summer amid its ongoing economic slowdown. Photo: Reuters

Attendees listen to a speaker during the Moral Action on Climate Justice rally in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Photo: Bloomberg

Staff members of China's Hainan Maritime Safety Administration work on a seaplane during a patrol in the South China Sea. Photo: Xinhua

A protester shouts during a pro-Tibet march as Chinese President Xi Jinping attends events nearby in Seattle, Washington. Photo: Reuters

US must veer away from collision course of testing China's claims in South China Sea

Sailing a warship or flying a warplane into or over a country's territorial sea to demonstrate the right of free navigation could be construed as a threat to use force.

Fiery Cross Reef is shown in a satellite image dated January 22, 2006. Photo: Handout/CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency

Fiery Cross Reef is shown in a satellite image dated September 3, 2015. Photo: Handout/CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency

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China

Diplomacy

Foreign ministry concerned that United States could send ships into Chinese-claimed waters as artificial islands add to tensions in the area
