Pentagon disinvites China from major naval exercise over South China Sea buildup
Source: The Washington Post
By Missy Ryan
May 23 at 12:29 PM
The Pentagon disinvited China from participating in a major naval exercise on Wednesday, signaling mounting U.S. anger over Beijing’s expanded military footprint in disputed areas of the South China Sea.
Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Logan said the Defense Department had reversed an earlier invitation to the Chinese Navy to the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s largest international naval exercise, over the decision to place anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and electronic jammers in the Spratly Islands.
“While China has maintained that the construction of the islands is to ensure safety at sea, navigation assistance, search and rescue, fisheries protection, and other non-military functions the placement of these weapon systems is only for military use,” Logan said in a statement.
He described the activities as a “violation of the promise that [Chinese] President Xi made to the United States and the world.”
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/pentagon-disinvites-china-from-major-naval-exercise-over-south-china-sea-buildup/2018/05/23/8aea6f04-5ea1-11e8-b2b8-08a538d9dbd6_story.html
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"What military force would want to place itself under the 'command' of a five-time republican draft dodger, who has a track record of lying, cheating, sexual predation, and treason? Get real, you pee-pee pants Running Dog Yankees." - Chiner
