A United States aircraft carrier
strike group has begun patrols in the South China Sea amid
growing tension with China over control of the disputed waterway
and concerns it could become a flashpoint under the new U.S.
administration.
China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday warned Washington
against challenging its sovereignty in the South China Sea.
The US navy said the force, including Nimitz-class
aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, began routine operations in
the South China Sea on Saturday. The announcement was posted on
the Vinson's Facebook page.
The strike group's commander, Rear Admiral James Kilby, said
that weeks of training in the Pacific had improved the group's
effectiveness and readiness.
"We are looking forward to demonstrating those capabilities
while building upon existing strong relationships with our
allies, partners and friends in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,"
he was quoted as saying by the Navy News Service.
Friction between the United States and China over trade and
territory under U.S. President Donald Trump have increased
concerns that the South China Sea could become a flashpoint.
China wrapped up its own naval exercises in the South China
Sea on Friday. War games involving its own aircraft carrier have
unnerved neighbours with which it has long-running territorial
disputes.
China lays claim to almost all of the resource-rich South
China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes
each year.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also
claim parts of the waters that command strategic sea lanes and
have rich fishing grounds, along with oil and gas deposits.
The United States has criticised Beijing's construction of
man-made islands and build-up of military facilities in the sea,
and expressed concern they could be used to restrict free
movement.
