Sharp increase in US surveillance of South China Sea observed in July
- Almost twice as many reconnaissance aircraft flew over contested waters last month than in May, think tank says
- Activity suggests Washington is shifting its stance from ‘preventive’ to ‘confrontational’
The planes included the US Navy’s newest maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft the P-8A Poseidon, EP-3E electronic warfare and reconnaissance aircraft and MQ-4C high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI).
“This is a sharp increase when compared to 35 times in May and 49 times in June,” the Peking University based think tank said on Weibo, China’s social media platform. “It’s almost twice as many as in May.”
Besides an increase in frequency, the intensity of US patrols also jumped in July, SCSPI said. “As many as 13 reconnaissance planes took off at night to conduct surveillance operations in the South China Sea. Nine aircraft entered the range of 70 nautical miles of the baseline of China’s territorial waters, six aircraft entered the range of 60 nautical miles, and one aircraft flew as near as 40 nautical miles.”
02:32
Washington’s hardened position on Beijing’s claims in South China Sea heightens US-China tensions
The change reflected a shift by the US from a “preventive” to a “confrontational” stance and indicated it was preparing for military action, according to SCSPI. “[All these] suggested a strong intention of preparing the battlefield.”
SCSPI director Hu Bo told nationalist tabloid Global Times on Sunday that he was worried about the rising risks of military conflicts between China and the US. “Given the current overall relations between China and the US, if any maritime or aerial accident takes place, the conflicts could likely not be effectively managed resulting in escalation.
“Therefore, the uncertain factors in Chinese and US militaries’ interactions in the South China Sea are getting bigger and the risks higher,” Hu said.
Collin Koh, a research fellow from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the Chinese military was conducting a series of activities in the South China Sea and it was not surprising to observe an uptick in US military activities, including reconnaissance flights.