US deploys 2 aircrafts across South China Sea, as Beijing shows forces across the region

The U.S. is deploying two aircraft carriers into one among Asia’s hottest spots to convey a pointed message to China that it overlooks Beijing’s military ramp-up within the region.The USS Reagan and USS Nimitz are set to carry a number of the U.S. Navy’s largest exercises in recent years within the South China Sea from Saturday—at an equivalent time that China is holding drills within the area.

With tensions rising between the 2 over trade, the coronavirus pandemic and China’s crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, U.S. officials said they wanted to challenge what they called Beijing’s unlawful territorial claims.
“The purpose is to point out an unambiguous signal to our partners and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability,” said Rear Adm. George M. Wikoff, commander of the strike group led by the USS Reagan, in an interview.

The exercises by the 2 carriers and 4 other warships will include round-the-clock flights testing the striking ability of carrier-based aircraft.

China and therefore the U.S. have accused one another of stoking tension within the strategic waterway at a time of strained relations over everything from the burst of novel coronavirus to trade to Hong Kong.

The USS Nimitz and USS Reagan were completing operations and exercises within the South China Sea “to support a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the navy said during a statement.

It didn’t say exactly where the exercises were being conducted within the South China Sea, which extends for a few 1,500 km (900 miles) and 90% of which is claimed by China despite the protests of its neighbors.
China declined all the claims made by US, said the drills carried out are just ordinary and nothing out of the blue.

The exercise was planned from a long time to go but comes as China conducts military drills of its own within the area, near the contested Paracel Islands and is very criticized by the US and other countries.
The US had earlier moved its troops from Europe to strengthen support towards other nations in Asian region, including India, contrary to the Chinese military advances.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had said that the Chinese threat to India and Southeast Asian nations is one among the explanations America is reducing its troop presence in Europe and deploying them to other places.
The US accuses China of trying to intimidate Asian neighbors who might want to take advantage of its extensive oil and gas reserves. Countries of Asia ,i.e., Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also alleged to parts of the South China Sea, through which about US$3 trillion of trade passes each year.