China is believed to have fired a nuclear-capable “carrier killer” anti-ship ballistic missile into the South China Sea the day after the United States sent a surveillance aircraft to spy on Chinese military exercises.
The show of strength came as Mark Esper, the US defence secretary, denounced Beijing for its “aggression” and vowed that his government would not give “an inch of ground” in its rejection of Chinese sovereignty over the strategic sea.
“Particularly in the South China Sea area, China seems to be flexing its muscles the most and conducting some of its worst behaviour,” Mr Esper said after a speech in Hawaii.
“The United States has a responsibility to lead . . . We’re not going to cede this region, an inch of ground if you will, to another country, any other country that thinks their form of government [is] better than what many of us share.”
Diplomatic tension between the China and the US has been increasing for months, as President Trump has made criticism of Beijing a part of his re-election campaign.
Yesterday China accused the United States of “naked provocation” and “trespass” in sending a high-altitude U2 surveillance aircraft to spy on naval live firing exercises involving the Chinese aircraft carrier
Shandong.
As China was making its complaint, according to the
South China Morning Post, it was also test-firing advanced ballistic missiles in what appears to be a pointed response.
The weapons reportedly included the DF-21D, a “carrier killer” anti-ship ballistic missile, which could threaten the US’s fleet.
In July, in a powerful show of strength, two US carriers,
USS Nimitz and
USS Ronald Reagan, conducted exercises in the South China Sea at the same time as
Shandong.
The other missile tested, the DF-26B, can carry nuclear or conventional warheads and has a range of 4000km, making it capable of striking US forces on the Pacific garrison island of Guam. Both weapons were fired into an area of sea between China’s Hainan province and the Paracel Islands, which are claimed by several southeast Asian countries, as well as China.
In the past six years Beijing has strengthened its claims by concreting over reefs to build military airports equipped with radar, missiles and aircraft. On Wednesday, the US government banned 24 Chinese companies from buying American products, blaming them for helping to construct the new artificial islands.
In 2016, an international tribunal in the Hague rejected Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over virtually the whole South China Sea and ruled that it had broken international law by building the military bases.
Last month Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, gave
explicit support to this ruling, adding to the growing atmosphere of confrontation
between Washington and Beijing. His message was reinforced today by Mr Esper.
“The People’s Liberation Army continues to pursue an aggressive modernisation plan to achieve a world-class military by the middle of the century,” he said. “This will undoubtedly involve the PLA’s provocative behaviour in the South and East China Seas, and anywhere else the Chinese government has deemed critical to its interests.”
Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, warned of the rising danger of war in the region. “The risk of conflict requires careful management by all the parties concerned,” she said. “We expect and hope that Beijing will continue to exercise restraint consistent with their obligations as a major regional power.”