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The Navy's draft proposal recommends that the US Pacific Fleet conduct a series of operations during a single week in November.
The goal is to conduct a series of highly targeted exercises involving US warships, fighter jets and troops to demonstrate that the US can quickly counter potential adversaries on multiple fronts.
The plan suggests sailing vessels and aircraft flying near Chinese territorial waters in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait in operations of freedom of navigation to demonstrate the right of free passage in international waters. The proposal means that US ships and planes would operate near Chinese forces.
Defense officials pointed out that there was no intention to fight the Chinese.
While the US military conducts this type of operation throughout the year, the proposal that has been distributed calls for several missions to take place in a few days.
If a manager described it as "just an idea", it is already advanced enough that the proposal contains a classified operational name that runs on several levels of the army. Officials would not confirm the name of the potential operation.
US officials admit that China often sees these missions as provocations. They also recognize that the intelligence community would be confronted with any concerns about China's reactions.
The Pentagon refused to acknowledge or comment on the proposal. "As the Secretary of Defense has repeatedly stated, we are not commenting on any future operations," said Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel David Eastburn.
The US Pacific Fleet also declined to comment.
The US Navy said that the Chinese destroyer Lanzhou had approached within 41 meters of the USS Decatur while the US ship was participating in a "freedom of navigation" operation near islands claimed by the Chinese.
The 8,000-ton destroyers could have been within two seconds of a collision, said Carl Schuster, a former US Navy officer who spent 12 years at sea.
The meeting of destroyers crowned weeks of increased tensions between Beijing and Washington.
Mattis originally planned to visit the Chinese capital to meet with senior Chinese officials to discuss security issues. The last minute cancellation of the unannounced trip has not been confirmed publicly by the Pentagon.
Following this cancellation, the US Navy released a series of photos showing troops aboard the 40,000-ton Wasp taking part in a live fire exercise in the South China Sea.
At a press conference last week, US President Donald Trump said his often-talked friendship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping had ended.
"He may not be one of my friends anymore, but I think he probably respects me," Trump said.
Although the US military offers exercises lasting one week, its execution in November, when holding mid-term elections in the United States, could have political implications for the Trump administration if US troops are challenged by China.
The proposal at the moment is for a series of operations in the Pacific, near China, but they could extend to the west coast of South America, where the China is increasing its investments. If the initial proposal is approved, the missions could be extended to Russian territory.
Defense Secretary James Mattis and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, will consider the diplomatic implications of each mission, officials said. They will also need to take into account the risk of sudden displacement of forces in new areas, far from planned deployments, and determine whether areas of potential threat are left undiscovered by the military, particularly in the Middle East.
For the moment, the proposal is still under study within the military.
The proposal stems from the Pentagon's national defense strategy, which focuses on the growing military challenge posed by Chinese and Russian armies. Mattis urged US commanders to come up with innovative and unexpected ways to deploy forces.
Currently, USS aircraft carrier Harry S Truman has made the unexpected decision to operate in the North Sea – sending a signal to Russia indicating that US military forces may extend their range in this area.
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