In the article published on May 20, 2016, in The Fox News, James E. Fanell and Claudia Rosett discuss China’s misconduct in the South China Sea and propose the actions of the U.S. as a reply. Interception of Chinese jet fighters of a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft and sudden cancellation of the scheduled entry to Hong Kong of the nuclear-powered supercarrier The Stennis show the aggressiveness of China’s strategy. Using its Navy and Coast Guard to challenge Japan and the Philippines over disputed islands and confront Vietnam at sea over oil exploration, China has disrupted the military balance of the U.S. power in East Asia. Previously the U.S. has had a significant impact on stable maritime order and essential shopping ways. James E. Fanell and Claudia Rosett claim that if China’s aggressive behavior is not limited, the U.S. must cancel China’s invitation to The Rim-of-the-Pacific (RIMPAC).
The argument made in the article is persuasive as it gives objective examples of China’s behavior which proves the provocativeness of the country’s actions. Moreover, China has extended its military position in the South China Sea by building seven new artificial islands in Spratly Archipelago and installing military airfields and deep-water naval ports. These actions give China a great military and territorial privilege and interrupt the peace of its neighbors. The provocative conduct of China makes the U.S. leave a message as a pushback.
By canceling the invitation of China to RIMPAC, the U.S. will answer its aggressiveness. According to James E. Fanell and Claudia Rosett (2016), providing this possible solution to the issue will limit China’s chances to spy on U.S. technology, tactics, and RIMPAC exercises sending surveillance ships. The proposed solution seems reasonable and convincing; however, it is not equal to the actions done by China. Therefore, limiting the access of China to RIMPAC might not be a strong enough message for it to stop the misconduct in the South China Sea.
China’s maritime misconduct is “contributing to the rising anti-American belligerence worldwide” (Fanell and Rosett, 2016). Two Russian warplanes buzzing a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Baltic, a threat of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander to American warships, are used in the article as examples of warlike behavior. However, it is very uncertain to judge these actions connected with the U.S. vs. China relationship in the South China Sea. Russian Federation and Iran have different geopolitical goals, and their foreign policy is not dictated by the current U.S. position in East Asia. Consequently, tying these maneuvers might not be correct even though some of the actions of foreign countries depend on the strategy of the other ones.
The article by James E. Fanell and Claudia Rosett gives a good persuasive observation of China and the U.S. in the South China Sea in 2016. China’s behavior can be called misconduct, and the government of the U.S. should take several actions to prevent further expansion of China’s territorial and military privileges. The article’s thesis is credible as it is proved by independent facts and shows China’s intentions. The decision proposed in the paper as a possible answer to China’s behavior can be evaluated as a temporal solution to the issue and might not be radical. Moreover, observing the worldwide anti-American belligerence disconnects with the topic and does not directly impact the U.S. and China relationship. In general, the article gives a decent overview of the U.S. political situation in East Asia and proposes a solution to the problem.
Reference List
James E. Fanell and Claudia Rosett, “It’s time for tougher U.S. pushback against China’s maritime misconduct,” The Fox News, Web.