Report: Pentagon May Expand Operations in South China Sea

Multiple “Western and Asian” officials told Reuters in a report published Sunday that the United States is seeking to expand its Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea to respond to growing belligerence from China.

The United States is reportedly looking to increase the number of its naval patrols in the South China Sea to challenge China’s growing militarization of the disputed waterway. In defiance of international law, China has claimed most of the South China Sea, including territory belonging to Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

According to Reuters, U.S. officials declined to say when these changes will take place but noted that “the moves could involve longer patrols, ones involving larger numbers of ships or operations involving closer surveillance of Chinese facilities in the area, which now include electronic jamming equipment and advanced military radars.”

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