Comfortably seated in his brown leather chair, his legs stretched out on the edge of the
USS Mustin's
gangway
, the American commander could give the impression that the cruise is having fun.
But it is not: alongside his second, the pasha of DDG-89 - one of the 71 destroyers of the
US Navy -
is observing the first of two Chinese aircraft carriers they follow in the footsteps.
The commander of the USS Mustin and his second in front of
Liaoning.
Screenshot / Twitter
The scene takes place on April 4 in southern Taiwan and near the Luzon Strait, between the Philippines Sea and the South China Sea.
Uncommon, the publication of this image illustrates the perceptible tension in this area.
Read also: The US Navy wants to counter the Chinese maritime power
While it is stepping up its pressure on the former Formosa, which is
de facto
independent but which it considers an integral part of its territory, the People's Republic of China is also unilaterally claiming its sovereignty over the South China Sea, which it is militarizing. at high speed for ten years building artificial reefs there.
For its part, the US Navy, which is increasing its visits there during exercises intended to guarantee the principle of "
freedom of navigation
", is worried about the very rapid development of the Chinese navy, which threatens the primacy it has acquired. on the seas since 1945 and more since 1991.
The
Liaoning
July 11, 2017. BOBBY YIP / REUTERS
The Chinese carrier strike group closely followed by the
USS Mustin
illustrates this point.
The
Liaoning
- an aircraft carrier whose construction began in 1985 in the USSR but which China completed in 2012 after buying it from Ukraine - is admittedly not of modern design, but it is escorted by several destroyers. which are much more so, in particular the very first Type 055, flagship of the Chinese navy.
Beijing, which has a fleet already larger than the US Navy in terms of number of ships (but not in terms of tonnage), also commissioned in 2019 a second aircraft carrier entirely built in China and should put into service. water this year a third, the first of a truly modern design with electromagnetic catapults to launch its fighters.
Beijing also commissioned its first helicopter carrier in 2021, with two others already launched.
In terms of aircraft carriers, the United States are still far ahead (around twenty in total), but the dynamic, favorable to Beijing, worries Washington, whose fleet is dispersed throughout the world and not only in Asia.
"
Great to be back in the South China Sea
"
As the satellite image below indicates, the US destroyer was extremely close to the Chinese aircraft carrier.
“
Very unusual picture.
The US Navy rarely recognizes its efforts to observe Chinese ships
, ”commented US journalist Christopher Cavas, a defense specialist.
After passing through the Western Pacific, where it approached Japan, then the Philippine Sea, the Chinese Carrier Strike Group is now in the South China Sea.
A Navy spokesman, quoted Chinese state media
Global Times
, explained that the ship and its escort would "
conduct exercises near the island of Taiwan as part of annual regular training
."
"
We will not allow American warships to gain an advantage at our gates,
" he warned.
An American carrier battle group formed around the aircraft carrier
USS Theodore Roosevelt
is also present right now in the South China Sea.
"
It's great to be back in the South China Sea to reassure our allies and partners that we remain committed to the freedom of the seas,
" said Rear Admiral Doug Verissimo, commander of the 9th Carrier Strike Group, attached to the US 7th Fleet in the Indo-Pacific.
On its scale, albeit more modest, France is also present in this disputed area.
Currently on a stopover in Sabang in Indonesia, at the entrance to Taiwan, the helicopter carrier
Tonnerre
and the frigate
Surcouf
will pass through the South China Sea in the coming days as part of the “
Jeanne 2021
”
mission
to train student officers. of the French Navy.
After a stopover in Vietnam, they will join Japan, passing in turn at least near the Taiwan Strait. This mission in the Indo-Pacific arc comes as the nuclear attack submarine (SNA)
Émeraude
returned to Toulon on April 7 after seven months spent in the same region. He also patrolled the South China Sea, which represents a first - at least officially - for a French ANS. On his return, publicized which is still very rare, Admiral Pierre Vandier, Chief of Staff of the National Navy, hailed a "
mission of strategic interest
". As the photo of the American commander illustrates, the rivalry in the Indo-Pacific is also about communication.
