China Warns The U.S. That They Will Enforce Their Sovereignty In The South China Sea

Josh Rogin, Bloomberg: Battle Over China's Artificial Islands Has Just Begun

After months of internal debate, the White House permitted the Defense Department to sail one ship near a reef in the South China Sea that China claims. The Chinese reaction shows Beijing has no intention of backing down. Now the Obama administration is debating what to do next.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter confirmed on Tuesday that the Lassen, a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer, traveled Monday within 12 miles of the Subi Reef, which was underwater until the Chinese government built it into an artificial island. Under questioning from the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carter said the U.S. has the right to operate near the Chinese structures. He expressed support for doing such a “freedom of navigation operation” again.

“What you read in the newspaper is accurate, but I don’t want to say when, whether or how we operate anywhere in the world,” he said. “These are operations that we should be conducting normally.”

WNU Editor: Since yesterday's passage of a U.S. naval vessel near a Chinese reclaimed island in the South China Sea, the Chinese have upped their confrontational stance against the U.S.(and everyone else) on the South China Sea territorial dispute. Even the Chinese state media outlet "the Global Times" is coming out and out bluntly stating that Beijing should now “prepare for the worst” and that Beijing “is not frightened to fight a war with the US in the region” .... After the show, it's time for US destroyer to leave (Global Times). In this atmosphere will tensions increase .... definitely. The next important step in this crisis is on what will the U.S. do now .... send in another ship or ignore the issue? My prediction is that the U.S. will continue to ignore Chinese sovereignty claims, they will send in more ships, and the Chinese will be forced to react to save face .... even confronting a U.S. Navy warship. When that point arrives is when I believe President Obama will back down .... he does not want his legacy to be one in which it was during his term that U.S. - Chinese relations took a disastrous turn for the worse.

Update: Here is a Russian view on the crisis .... South China Sea: What Will US, China Confrontation Lead to? (Sputnik)