[ad_1]
Recent US bomber flights over the disputed South China Sea may strengthen the security of the Southeast Asian countries claiming the waterway, with Washington's planes helping to control China's maritime expansion.
Analysts estimate that periodic overflights of the B-52 bombers, including two last month, would protect Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam against Beijing, which is pressuring the maritime sovereignty claims of the four countries of the China Sea Southern. .
Stratofortress bombers "carried out operations" in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean on September 23 and 25, the US Air Force, the US Pacific Army, said in a statement. The B-52 model had left Guam for a "routine training mission," the statement said.
"Southeast Asian demand-side countries should feel encouraged and inspired by the overflights, which reflect the dedication and willingness of the United States to counter China's behavior in the region," said Yun Sun, Senior Associate of the East Asia Program in Washington.
The Chinese military protested last week's decision as "provocative" and called for follow-up measures.
Air and Naval Power
China boasts about 90% of the sea, giving it a head start on access to popular fisheries, fuel deposits and shipping routes. The four countries of Southeast Asia and Taiwan claim all or part of the sea but can not compete with Chinese military power.
Washington, which does not claim a sea of 3.5 million square kilometers, insists that the South China Sea remains open to international shipping. The United States Government periodically sends military planes into or around the sea, adding to warships called "freedom of navigation exercises" or FONOPs.
In 2015, China protested against two US B-52 bombers near the Spratly Islands, described as "provocation that should be avoided," the Xinhua official news agency said in Beijing. In June, the US Air Force sent two B-52s to the same location from a base in the Indian Ocean, the Air Force Times reported online.
Washington uses flights as a tactic of "pressure" on the bilateral trade dispute, said Alan Chong, an associate professor at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. The US government has imposed import duties on Chinese goods worth $ 250 billion this year, as part of a campaign conducted this year by President Donald Trump.
US bombers also warn China against the excessive militarization of the sea, he added.
"This creates more maneuvering space for the Pentagon and, by extension, for the Trump administration," Chong said. "And I think China will have to watch carefully. This is a development I think most South-East Asian countries would like, even if they do not openly admit it, as it is a way of signaling to the Chinese that they should not militarize beyond what they have already done.
Southeast Asia on the defensive
Southeast Asian countries tend to remain silent, as Beijing has placed missiles on small islands, organized naval exercises and considered nuclear power plants. These movements at sea over the last year follow a large-scale landfill to prepare small islands for new infrastructure.
China has also rejected a decision of a 2016 global arbitration tribunal, filed by the Philippines, against its legal basis for claiming the sea that extends from Hong Kong to the island. from Borneo. Beijing cites historical records to support its claim.
Some countries are now accepting China's help, further easing criticism. Vietnam is experiencing an influx of Chinese tourists, while the Philippines is expected to receive billions of dollars in Chinese development aid.
US officials said earlier this year that they wanted Vietnam to buy more US weapons. In July, two US vessels and one aircraft conducted a joint exercise with the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Analysts believe the US military presence could deter China from taking more islets into the sea.
"These types of bombers flights are not really new, they've been done for some time now, so it's supposed to impress not only China, but also other potential players in the US region." are determined to be present in this region, "said Collin Koh, research scientist in maritime safety research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
The US Air Force is not backing down its B-52 flights and could increase them, added Koh.
The countries of Southeast Asia are accepting the US military presence because they are not expecting any conflict with the United States, said Jonathan Spangler, director of the think tank on the South China Sea in Taipei.
"Most of the South China Sea claimants feel less threatened by the US military presence than by the Chinese military presence, that's for sure," said Spangler. "As a result, the US military presence can be reassuring in relation to the Chinese military presence, which can be a source of discomfort."
