The United States will continue to be present in the South China Sea, sending aircraft carriers there for exercises, and no one can stop this, said Defense Minister Mark Esper.
US aircraft carriers Nimitz and Ronald Reagan resumed exercises in the South China Sea on July 17.
Hua Chunying, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
“We want to counter the intrusive behavior of the Chinese in the South China Sea. This has been going on for many years … We want to provide free navigation there. You know that 80% of world trade passes through the Indo-Pacific region, especially through the South China Sea. we want to make sure there is free and open navigation, otherwise it could have a big impact on international trade”, – Esper said in an online news conference.