Coming to the South China Sea has excited them, as the USS Washington carrier group posted: We are proudly sailing in the South China Sea.
On July 29, the USS Washington Carrier Strike Group had fully entered the South China Sea. On that day, we noticed a post from its social media account:
Do you know what maritime shipping lanes are? The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Washington is proudly sailing in the South China Sea. Maintaining control over these vital maritime routes in the Indo-Pacific region and ensuring freedom of navigation are crucial.
Previously, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines emphatically stated that the purpose of this deployment of the USS Washington aircraft carrier was to exercise freedom of navigation and oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo.
From the U.S. side’s reaction, it’s clear they have high hopes—and even a sense of excitement—for this South China Sea mission. They seem to believe their carrier strike group can once again freely exercise freedom of navigation near China’s coastlines, flexing military might once more.
However, in reality, instead of tolerating the arrival of this American carrier, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army did not hold back. The Southern Theater Command has already deployed surface warships operating in the South China Sea. The H-6 bombers flew into the region openly, and on the very same day the USS Washington released its message, China officially announced that the Type 052DL destroyer now possesses the capability to launch the YJ-20 missile.
This means that the PLA has already set up an impenetrable net across the South China Sea. Should the U.S. aircraft carrier make any abnormal moves, it will surely face severe consequences.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872110594510027/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.