MOSCOW – The US Navy regularly conducts so-called freedom of navigationoperations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, currently mostlycontrolled by Beijing. The latter condemns such actions as “provocations”and frequently calls on Washington to cease carrying them out.
A Chinese Weibo social media user with the handle @zhezhongzhihuizhangpublished a satellite image link allegedlyshowing American aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan surrounded by atleast seven other, purportedly Chinese, warships on 24 September.
The image, which later spread to other social media platforms, alsosuggested that USS Ronald Regan was alon when it was allegedly surroundednortheast of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, although aircraftcarriers are usually accompanied by other warships.
Spokeswoman for the US 7th Fleet refused to confirm whether the incidentreally took place, saying only that the carrier is “conducting routineoperations”.
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A spokesperson for the Chinese Defence Ministry neither confirmed nor deniedlinkthatthe US warship had been surrounded, but noted when responding to a questionabout their publication that the USS Ronald Reagan was sent to the regionto “flex muscles and escalate regional militarisation”.
“We are firmly opposed to that. We urge the US side to respect the securityconcerns of countries in the region and make positive contributions to thepeace and stability in the South China Sea”, the spokesperson said.
