Jyotsna Punshi writes “a thorough reading of the Article gives more than just an idea about US’s intention with regards to the South China Sea and China’s claims on it. Though the Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis refuses to accept that it indeed is about the rogue china and suppressing its questionable claims, the whole world is becoming increasingly aware of the twisted intentions behind “accidentally hurtful” actions of US targeted at China. It can be interpreted in a manner, such that, USA under Trump administration has a possessed obligation, provided its superpower status, to carry out these “Freedom of Navigation” operations on couple of possible grounds: –
1. Following the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision, it becomes of excessive importance to Washington to display support for this upright and blameless judgement or else it may ebb away the eminence of America in the eyes of international community.
2. America, besides bearing pressure from the international community, has certain bilateral agreements with countries including Japan (it requires both countries to act to meet the common danger), Philippines (Since 1951, the U.S. and the Philippines have had a bilateral agreement for mutual defence), and Taiwan.
It is still unclear as to what would this seemingly provocative action by US bring up as an expected resentful reaction from PRC but it definitely is a precursor for already upset US-China relations.
The full article is available on http://indiatoday. intoday.in/story/in-first- under-donald-trump-us-warship- challenges-beijings-claims-in- south-china-sea/1/962424.html