US Defense Secretary to Visit Carrier in South China Sea
by Carla Babb April 15, 2016
U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is visiting a U.S. warship in the South China Sea to emphasize the United States' commitment to security in that area, where territorial disputes have place China at odds with several of its neighbors.
"Later today, I will visit the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, sailing in the South China Sea, after some of its sailors and Marines participated with you in Balikatan," Carter announced Friday in Manila at the closing ceremonies of the Balikatan U.S.-Philippines joint military exercises.
He said security in the region is like oxygen -- if there is enough of it, it goes unnoticed. But, he added, "When you don't have enough, you can think of nothing else."
Carter said activities like the joint military exercises the United States and Philippines just concluded are important to protecting security in the region. He revealed Thursday that the U.S. military is increasing its presence on the archipelago with rotational forces and equipment. Carter said the first South China Sea joint patrol was carried out in March. Defense officials say a second joint patrol was completed in early April.
It is the second visit by the defense secretary to a U.S. warship in the hotly contested waters. Last November he was on the USS Theodore Roosevelt as it sailed northwest of Borneo. During that visit, Carter acknowledged his stop was being noted because of the tensions in the region over the island disputes.
China protested Friday. In comments in state-run media, Beijing said the United States is taking a "lopsided approach" favoring China's rivals for territory in the South China Sea. It added nothing will shake its resolve to safeguard the territory it claims.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, and has aggressively carried out island-building and patrols in waters that are claimed by other countries.
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