U.S. warship sails near islands claimed by China

Japan should send a ship too.

Reclaimed land does not obtain EEZ and only 500m in terms of territorial water agreed in UNCLOS which PRC is also a Signatory of.

It probably needs to be done. Sadly. China needs to be shown.

Upon being notified of the mission having been completed, Obama proudly paraded around the White House grounds poking a stick at hornet nests demanding they build elsewhere.

Obama proudly paraded around the White House grounds poking a stick at hornet nests demanding they build elsewhere. so what are the hornets going to do sting the President!? if thats the case theyll have to send in the exterminators, A US Naval Fleet

Japan, Vietnam, Philippines and any other country with a dispute with the Chinese over these islands should send warships also...all at the same time.

Thank-you USA for standing up to the Eastern bully. You've make some gawd awful decisions sometimes but we still love you for occasionaly making the right decision with your military might xx

Thank-you USA for standing up to the Eastern bully. You've make some gawd awful decisions sometimes but we still love you for occasionaly making the right decision with your military might xx

I am always so confused by the way liberals think. one day they're hating on the US and the military and on the next, total praise and gratitude. Perplexing, very perplexing.

Actual you've just shown the flaw in your thinking. You group anyone who holds a different opinion than you as "Liberal", then you express confusion when all those people who you've pigeonholed into a single category don't all hold the same opinions. The reality is that your classification system is lacking and doesn't reflect the real world.

If we allow this Chinese aggression, we are ceding the China Sea to them--forever. These freedom of navigation exercises are a necessity, not only to let China know we're not playing their game, but also to let Brunei, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam that we won't stand idle.

Under international law, a state’s territorial waters extend 12 nautical miles from its shore. However, the U.S. and others argue that this rule cannot apply to artificial islands.

Doesn't international law have provisions governing artificial islands? It doesn't seem like a "he says/she says" situation.

All internationally-recognized maps label those as international waters under international jurisdiction of navigation, so no country (even SE Asian countries) should have a problem when naval ships follow the rules through those waters. Without that international recognition on their side, China's case has nowhere to go, so there's no case.

Can't just prop up an artificial land and call the area around it sovereign state; otherwise, countries would be propping up artificial lands on each other's doorsteps.

Furthermore, like real estate property rights and adverse possession, if ya don't protect the rights of international waters, ya risk losing those rights and that claim in such area. So ya have to constantly exercise those international rights - otherwise, use it or lose it.

Can I claim an island? Seems to be trendy

Actual you've just shown the flaw in your thinking. You group anyone who holds a different opinion than you as "Liberal",

No, just the lack of selective consistency that both parties project, but it's usually liberals that overwhelmingly selective when they can't decide which team they really want to route for.

then you express confusion when all those people who you've pigeonholed into a single category don't all hold the same opinions.

I was being facetious.

The reality is that your classification system is lacking and doesn't reflect the real world.

Actually it points out the hypocrisy that the majority of liberals reside in.

Let me once again summarize your post Bass (actually, almost all your posts):

I know you are, but what am I?"

I know you are, but what am I?"

I love how liberals scurry from the truth.

And again you pigeonhole everyone who disagrees with you into a single category.

Tuesday’s exercise came as China’s Communist leaders held a sensitive policy meeting in the capital, but Foreign Minister Wang Yi provided a measured response to the news.“If true, we advise the American side to think twice before acting, to not act rashly, and to not make trouble out of nothing,” the official Xinhua news agency quoted Wang as saying at a seminar.

A different response was reported in other news:

The foreign ministry in Beijing condemned it as "illegal".In a statement, ministry spokesman Lu Kang described the operation as a "threat to China's sovereignty", adding that Beijing would "resolutely respond to any country's deliberately provocative actions".

A U.S. warship on Tuesday sailed close to artificial islands Beijing is building in the South China Sea, a US defense official said, in a move likely to infuriate the rising Asian power.

Good. About time the U.S. -- namely Obama -- shows China that we will not allow her to bully the smaller nations of the Pacific.

And again you pigeonhole everyone who disagrees with you into a single category.

No, not everyone, just the Kool aid drinkers.

Good. About time the U.S. -- namely Obama -- shows China that we will not allow her to bully the smaller nations of the Pacific.

As if the Chinese are afraid of Obama. Worked so well so far everywhere else, the Mid East, NK, Russia. LOL

I think The United States is the only country that would be able to do this without fear. I have read about other countries being run off from these disputed reclaimed islands by the Chinese military. While I believe the US does have imperialistic tendencies, I do not believe this to be the case. They really are just trying to maintain a balance of power in that area, and they are the only ones that can do it. Keep it up!

It seems that boycotting as many goods made in China as possible is much better than sending warship there. Start new war?

In. Your. Face.

“We will fly, sail, and operate anywhere in the world that international law allows.”

Who writes the international laws?

ok China if these facilities are for safe navigation, safety etc how about this, INVITE participation from ALL ASEAN countries, Japan, US NZ AUS etc to come ashore & help set up the shop EH!!

I am awaiting your positive response, HOWEVER unlikely that may be!

@WakarimasenOCT. 27, 2015 - 12:54PM JST Japan should send a ship too.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

China created the island. Are you suggesting J to steal it?

China created the island. Are you suggesting J to steal it?

No. Obviously, wakarimasen is simply stating that Japan along with all other nations have the right to navigate international waters outside of the exclusive 12 nautical mile radius.

No, not everyone, just the Kool aid drinkers

LoL@bass. Git u a case beer for that comment.

I am always so confused by the way liberals think. one day they're hating on the US and the military and on the next, total praise and gratitude. Perplexing, very perplexing.

Good lord, Bass4funk. I hate to put words into Madverts' mouth, but I'd hesitate to guess that he pauses to consider the context before deciding whether or not approve of any particular use of military force. Fancy that.

it's usually liberals that overwhelmingly selective when they can't decide which team they really want to route for.

Liberals may be an unfathomable mystery, but fortunately for us you are not, Bass4funk; it's all Red Team, all the time - come hell or high water.

@San Diegan. No. Let them two heavyweights duke it out. . . . they usually make good points.

Looks like the US military ain't that bad after all...

The land China has "reclaimed" used to be submerged during high tide. This is why any effort to claim the now built-up land is sovereign to any country and therefore gets a 12 NM territorial waters provision will not hold up in international court. The U.S. was simply demonstrating that.

USA government , can't wait to start WW3 with nukes.

The reaction of the Chinese does more to make the case that they are a paper-tiger and not a real superpower than some destroyer sailing through the area ever could. Real superpowers like the USA just note that a foreign vessel was within such and such on a free-sea transit. A weak power over-reacts and is left exposed. This is also why the Russian bombers making moves towards the US do not provoke the outrage that they would if the bombers were US and were making moves towards Russia. The US knows it is a power, it doesn't need to prove anything.

Good Move Washington! Good Move!

This incursion by Communist China and their corrupt vision of Communizing the Pacific Region must be Halted!

And Outstanding job to the Officers and Crew of the USS Lassen - Bravo Zulu!

USA government , can't wait to start WW3 with nukes.

Really? How? So we should allow China to control an area of the ocean with this incursion that THEY declare it's theirs when it's in international waters, which is affecting everyone in and around that region of the ASEAN alliance. Question, where does China have the right to just build Islands in an area that belongs to everyone? And don't worry, we won't come close to WW3 and definitely NOT with this president. I'm actually surprised that the president would even take this step, but let's see how far it goes and what both sides will do. No one wants a war, but what China is doing is just nuts.

This incursion by Communist China and their corrupt vision of Communizing the Pacific Region must be Halted!

China is not communist, and they most definitely don't want to 'Communize' the pacific. They'd rather turn it into their own twisted version of extreme capitalism.

Self appoint global policeman US government, will say black is white and white black period, don't agree will over throw any governments who doesn't agree with US government view.

Where is the WMD and supporting ISIS US government are pretty good at that.

Dunno why anyone would be against the freedom of navigation on international waters.

Isn't that freedom worth protecting for everyone?

The world has enough territories claimed by governments. The last thing the world needs is losing even more freedom of navigation.

Dunno why anyone would be against the freedom of navigation on international waters.

Whose against it?

...well, other than the Chinese.

Dunno why anyone would be against the freedom of navigation on international waters.

Whose against it?

...well, other than the Chinese.

Have ya checked this thread