The US military warned Thursday that its warships would now respond in a
"more muscular" way
to those who violate international law, citing in particular Beijing, whose United States is contesting territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Read also: The US Navy in a show of force against China
In its new naval strategy document, which sets out the objectives of the US Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard for the coming years, the Pentagon points out that several countries, notably Russia and China,
" contest the balance of power in key regions, to weaken the current international order ”
.
"Our naval forces have daily interactions with Chinese and Russian warships and planes
,
"
notes the document, which calls China
"the most pressing threat
.
"
The latest incident between the US Navy and the Chinese navy dates back to late August, when Beijing announced it had driven an American warship from the disputed Paracel archipelago, which it controls.
The Asian giant claims almost all of the islands in the South China Sea, which other riparian countries (Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei) dispute.
Faced with Chinese claims deemed excessive, Washington is sending warships more and more regularly to the region to carry out what it calls
"freedom of navigation operations"
.
To keep its strategic advantage against the Chinese naval forces which have
"tripled in size for 20 years"
, the US Navy wants to modernize, with smaller, more agile ships, even remotely piloted.
Read also: The head of the US Navy, at odds with Trump, quits his post
American warships will also
"accept calculated tactical risks and adopt a more assertive posture in daily operations
,
"
the document said.
For Rear Admiral Jay Bynum,
"that means being more responsive, more muscular in our operations
.
"
“Before, our attitude was to seek de-escalation.
We were turning around and minimizing the risk, ”
he added, noting that the US Navy has gradually
“ lost ground ”
with this approach.
The Pentagon document specifies that the US Navy will also be more visible in the Pacific, where it will endeavor to
"detect and document the acts of our rivals who violate international law, steal the resources of other countries and violate their sovereignty"
.