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major developments
Times Challenges 25 in the South China
Sea in 2016 is instructive,
Chinese
as they form the
context for the Trump
administration as it
manages its relations
with Beijing.
takeout 1. In September
A
ruling that Chinas Nine-Dash
Line claim to the South China
Sea had no foundation in international
new phase of strategic law.
In 2016, China not only completed
the construction of three
uncertainty has
3-kilometer-long runways on
emerged in relations
Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief
between China and the
reefs; it also built reinforced hangars
United States under the Trump
with space to accommodate
administration on a number of
24 fighters and three to four
issues, including maritime security
larger planes (such as bombers
in the South China Sea. Rising
and aerial tankers) on each reef.
tensions create the
China later added point defenses
prospect of a downturn
on all of its facilities housing antiaircraft
in bilateral relations
guns and surface-to-air
or, worse, a confrontation
missiles.
at sea or in
2.
the air over contested
waters. The Obama administration
successfully deterred South China Sea and
China from building an artificial the US and the Philippines
island and airfield at Scarborough announced the
Shoal in an unprecedented orchestration commencement of
of military power and joint naval patrols.
high-level diplomacy. In March In June, the USS
2016, American defense officials Ronald Reagan aircraft
reported unusual Chinese surveying carrier replaced the Stennis
activity around Scarborough on patrol duties and the US
Shoal. US and Australian intelligence deployed four EA-18 Growlers,
and analytical agencies later the worlds most advanced electronic
warned that China was poised to warfare aircraft, to the
take decisive and provocative Philippines. During the summer,
action, such as the construction three US destroyers conducted
of a fourth airfield. independent patrols in the waters
A Chinese airfield on Scarborough around the Spratly Islands and
Shoal would complete the two carrier strike groups, Stennis
triangle linking Woody Island in and Reagan, along with six
the Paracels with occupied features warships conducted a large-scale
in the Spratly Islands and exercise off the east coast of the
give China the ability to monitor Philippines.
virtually all aircraft and surface
ships passing over or through the
South China Sea.
3. In 2016, the US Navy conducted