The Cipher Take

Our Daily Breakdown of Headlines Around the World

Headline: U.S. Navy Holds First Trump Administration South China Sea FONOP

A U.S. warship Thursday sailed within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef, an artificial island created by China as part of its military expansion into the South China Sea.  The U.S. conducts such passages to show it does not recognize China’s claim to these islands and reefs. The operation, known as a freedom of navigation operation, or FONOP, was the first of the Trump Administration. The Obama Administration conducted several such FONOPs, but these were all regarded as “innocent passage,” in which the ship would pass within 12 miles of an island without stopping. In Thursday’s instance, the ship conducted a “maneuvering drill” during which it conducted a “man overboard” exercise.  A U.S. official said this was intended to show this was not innocent passage. Beijing responded by sending two of its own warships to warn the U.S. vessel, and lodged a complaint with the U.S.

The Cipher Take:

After months of ambiguity on the Trump Administration’s South China Sea policy, this FONOP demonstrates that Trump intends to make good on his promise to send a stronger message to China over its militarization of the South China Sea. By going beyond innocent passage, Trump is sending a stronger signal. It will take time and additional FONOPs to conclusively know whether the new strategy will work, however, in the meantime, this could complicate other bilateral issues if the U.S. needs China’s cooperation.

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