Pushing the envelope in the South China Sea

THE prospect of the US navy conducting freedom of navigation patrols in the South China Sea seems to have sparked much excitement abroad.

In recent weeks, Washington has let it be known that American warships plan to sail close to artificial islands that China has built up, ignoring any 12 nautical mile (22.2 km) claim to sovereignty. The US strategy is justified on the grounds that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea recognises the 12 nautical mile territorial limits only on naturally formed islands - submerged reefs that have been reclaimed do not have such limits.

It should also be noted that US-led freedom of navigation operations have been going on since 1979. These exercises have their origins in Cold War manoeuvres against the then Soviet Union. More importantly, they are meant to assert the right of innocent passage in territorial seas.