China Syndrome

The Senate last night passed a resolution co-sponsored by Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Jim Webb (D-VA) deploring China's harassment of ships in the South China Sea and calling for a peaceful, multilateral resolution to maritime territorial disputes in Southeast Asia. According to a statement from Inhofe's office:

On June 9, three Chinese maritime security vessels ran into and disabled the cables of a Vietnamese exploration ship, the Viking 2, in an area within 200 miles of Vietnam’s continental shelf and recognized under international law to be within Vietnam's Exclusive Economic Zone. This followed similar incidents on May 26 near Vietnam and in March near the Philippines, as well as incidents at sea last year in the Senkaku Islands, which are under the legal administration of Japan.  Following international condemnation of the June 9 incident, China deployed its largest maritime security ship to the South China Sea. Several other countries in the region have also deployed military vessels to the area.

"Over the past twelve months, China has been carrying out calculated acts of naval harassment in the South China Sea," Inhofe said. "Seeing this negative trend which threatens the freedom of navigation as well as the national security interests of the United States and its allies in the region, we introduced this Senate resolution.  China needs a clear message that their continued harassment will no longer be tolerated. I am pleased that the U.S. Senate sent that clear message in a unified manner. It lets Communist China know they must halt their aggressive behavior and return to the pledge made in 2002 to resolve this dispute peacefully."

"A growing number of nations around the South China Sea are now voicing serious concerns about China's pattern of intimidation. These nations include Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as countries such as Singapore that do not have a stake in the territorial disputes," said Webb. "This is a significant development toward fostering a multilateral approach to resolve these territorial disputes in a peaceful manner, respecting the sovereignty of all claimants."

"The United States has a clear strategic interest in facilitating such a multilateral approach, ensuring open access to international waters and air space, and promoting adherence to international law," said Webb.

The resolution passed by the Senate:

(1) reaffirms the strong support of the United States for the peaceful resolution of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and pledges continued efforts to facilitate a multilateral, peaceful process to resolve these disputes;

(2) deplores the use of force by naval and maritime security vessels from China in the South China Sea;

(3) calls on all parties to the territorial dispute to refrain from threatening force or using force to assert territorial claims; and

(4) supports the continuation of operations by the United States Armed Forces in support of freedom of navigation rights in international waters and air space in the South China Sea.

Inside the Pentagon reported earlier this month of the Defense Department's growing interest in China's military capabilities, despite growing economic ties:

While defense officials publicly insist that the military's new AirSea Battle concept, a study meant to reshape the way the U.S. military fights future wars, is not focused on China, one Navy team is quietly contradicting their claims. The group, called the China Integration Team, is hard at work applying the lessons of the study to a potential conflict with China, say sources familiar with the effort.

Portions of the AirSea Battle concept are classified, and high levels of sensitivity surround the study's connection with China. For both reasons, those who were willing to discuss the study asked to remain anonymous.

According to one source familiar with the effort, the China Integration Team is undertaking exactly what its name suggests -- applying the lessons of the concept specifically "at the China threat."

When asked to confirm the team's existence and mission, the Navy had little to say.

"With respect to an office being stood up to support AirSea Battle or China, I have nothing for you at this time," said Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Justin Cole.

But an internal bulletin from the Navy's strategy and policy shop confirms the China Integration Team's existence and its connection with AirSea Battle.

"With the completion of ASB Spiral One development," the bulletin states, referring to the first draft of the study, "ASB responsibilities are shifting from N513," the strategy office that handled the first stage of the study, "to N3/N5 China Integration Team (CIT)."