A Busy but Safe Seaway, or a Stage for Power Plays?

Busy but Safe

The South China Sea is a bustling waterway with a constant presence of ships and aircraft from various countries. Despite this activity, the Chinese military maintains it does not engage in confrontational encounters, except in rare instances like foreign forces entering Chinese territory.

The real threats to maritime freedom in the region are identified as the US military's "freedom of navigation operations," close-in reconnaissance operations, and intrusions into other countries' military exercise zones.

The report highlights the significant military presence in the region, with countries maintaining over 20,000 ship-days and 30,000 aircraft sorties annually. The US Navy maintains a substantial presence with approximately 1,600 ship-days of surface vessels, an undisclosed number of submarines, and over 3,000 ship-days of auxiliary vessels. Additionally, the US conducts approximately 8,000 aircraft sorties annually in the region.

Air and maritime encounters between military forces, particularly between China and the US, occur frequently, with over 10 China-US encounters daily. The majority of these encounters are reported to be professional and safe.

The report emphasizes that the true threats to maritime freedom stem from extra-regional military operations, including the US military's "freedom of navigation operations," provocations that approach or intrude into the coastal state's territorial waters and airspace, and intrusions into temporary military exercise areas of other countries.

The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of peace, stability, freedom, and security in the South China Sea for the well-being, development, and security of the region and globally. The report calls for both regional and external countries to contribute their efforts, play constructive roles, and work together to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship, and cooperation.