From Wednesday to Sunday, the People’s Liberation Army-Navy will conduct aggressive exercises in the Paracel Islands of the South China Sea. More than 180 miles from the closest Chinese territory, the islands are obviously in international waters.

China’s warning is that “during the period [of the exercise], no vessel shall be allowed to navigate [in the large training area and] all vessels have to follow the guidance of the commanding ship on site.” This is a clear breach of international law. The intent here is the same as that which motivates China to purge its Uighur population: the pursuit of absolute dominance bound to the threat of violence. While China’s warning here comes from its civilian maritime agency rather than the ministry of defense, this message has one overriding audience: the U.S. Navy.