South China Sea: US carrier strike group returns to contested waters

Tensions flared between China and the United States over the island nation of Taiwan as of late. Washington has deployed a carrier strike group back into the South China Sea following its port in Singapore.

Officials of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet confirmed that the USS Ronald Reagan was deployed back into the contested waters. However, the officials did not comment on the recent tensions surrounding a possible visit to Taiwan by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“USS Ronald Reagan and her strike group are underway, operating in the South China Sea following a successful port visit in Singapore,” Commander Hayley Sims told Reuters in a statement.

Sims added that the carrier strike group was “continuing normal, scheduled operations as part of her routine patrol in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

China’s foreign ministry said the US was “flexing its muscles” in the South China Sea with the redeployment of the USS Ronald Reagan.

The reports of the carrier strike group returning to the contested waters come amidst a back and forth from both Beijing and Washington over a possible visit by Pelosi.

Pelosi was reportedly looking to visit the island nation in August after postponing the visit back in April. Pelosi has yet to formally announce a visit.

China claims to have control over Taiwan and has ramped up its pressure on the island’s democratic government to cede to Beijing. However, Taiwan has repeatedly rejected China’s claims of sovereignty.

China has threatened that it will issue a stern response should Pelosi visit, both in public and private.

Despite the threats from China, many in Taiwan have shrugged off the warnings against Pelosi visiting the island, saying that they are used to the threats by Beijing.

“To the Taiwanese people, Chinese threats have never stopped in the past decades. It’s happening every day,” said lawmaker Wang Ting-yu who belongs to the Democratic Progressive Party. “Taiwan needs to be on guard, but Taiwan will not cave in to fear.”

Alexander Huang, who serves as the director of international affairs of the opposition party Kuomintang, said a visit by Pelosi would be welcomed and that it “raises Taiwan’s visibility” and would highlight Washington’s commitment to the island.