South China Sea: John McCain calls for naval exercises to challenge Beijing

South China Sea: John McCain calls for naval exercises to challenge Beijing

Veteran North American nation legislator John McCain has created a provocative decision to carry huge armed service exercises within the South China ocean, voice communication nations might unite to challenge Beijing's sovereignty over the controversial territory

The former Republican presidential candidate used a speech to the North American nation Studies Centre in Sydney on Tues night to accuse China of acting "more and additional sort of a bully".

"If the Chinese square measure ready to stop North American nation physical exercise freedom of navigation then that has severe consequences for the entire region," he said.

Senator McCain is chair of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee and one among the foremost powerful voices on the military and policy in Washington.

Before and after: South China ocean

See however China is changing reefs to military facilities by building artificial islands within the South China ocean.
When asked whether or not Australia ought to participate in freedom of navigation exercises within the South China ocean, he steered US-led trilateral exercises can be a decent vehicle to keep off against China.

"I wouldn't try and tell the Australians what they have to try to to, however there square measure exercises wherever variety of countries be part of along — we tend to decision it RIMPAC [Rim of the Pacific Exercise]— that the Australians participate in. they are broad armed service exercises," he said.
"I would say that will be a chance for North American nation to exercise this freedom of navigation."
Twenty-six countries took half within the most up-to-date RIMPAC off the coasts of Hawaii and CA in 2016 — as well as the North American nation, Australia and China.

China claims management over the overwhelming majority of the South China ocean however is entangled in territorial disputes with many countries within the region, as well as Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

It has reacted angrily once North American nation ships and planes have entered the world — and would bristle at any plans to carry trilateral exercises within the South China ocean while not its permission.

The legislator was fast to feature he understood the importance of Australia's economic relationship with China, emphasising the Australian government would got to create its own choices regarding military exercises.