China announced this week it would deploy submarines armed with nuclear missiles to the South China Sea, according to a report.
This news comes days after President Obama lifted the arms trade embargo on Vietnam during his visit to Hanoi. Vietnam and the U.S. have increased relationships over the years as China builds islands in international waters.
The Guardian reported on Thursday that Chinese military officials aren’t commenting on the timing of the deployment, but they are saying it is inevitable.
While China publicly praised the Vietnamese embargo lift, a Chinese state-run newspaper reported any attempt to bring Vietnam against China would “risk turning the region into a tinderbox of conflicts.”
Secretary of State John Kerry responded Monday, saying China’s aggressive actions might cause the tinderbox. “I would caution China to not unilaterally move to engage in reclamation activities and militarization of islands.”
The U.S. continues to pressure China, conducting “freedom of navigation” exercises by sailing Navy ships near the islands. Last Tuesday, the Pentagon criticized China’s military when two fighter jets “unsafely” intercepted a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane flying over international waters. This incident “definitely has people’s attention,” according to a Pentagon official.
China created 3,200 acres of fake islands in the South China Sea and is accused of militarizing the new land, according to Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS. It is suspected that China’s movement is an attempt to strong-arm the international territory.
