International Law Says Where We Can Go and Not. Some Countries Like This, Some Don't.

'Floating city' USS Carl Vinson not concerned with Beijing's maps as it sails through South China Sea

Updated February 26, 2018 12:29:14 Deep in the South China Sea the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, has a point to make. "It shows resolve, and gives decision space to our leaders," the ship's commanding officer, Captain Doug Verissimo, said. "When they put a carrier strike group somewhere it helps to show that the United States is interested.

From article, (Deep in the South China Sea the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, has a point to make.

"It shows resolve, and gives decision space to our leaders," the ship's commanding officer, Captain Doug Verissimo, said.

"When they put a carrier strike group somewhere it helps to show that the United States is interested.

"We don't have a lot of these, so when you put one in a certain area it has some influence.

"Of course it also gives our diplomats time and space to negotiate and make decisions, ultimately to try and prevent any type of armed conflict."

The Carl Vinson is the flagship of a strike group from the US Third Fleet.

The other vessels are here — but you can't see them.

Somewhere over the horizon, guided missile cruisers and destroyers form a protective shield around the aircraft carrier.

No-one on board will say it so bluntly, but the ship is sailing through the South China Sea to send a deliberate message: these waters aren't China's alone.

China has built airstrips and ports on reefs and shoals throughout the sea in defiance of a ruling from an international tribunal in the Hague.

"We want to keep laws and norms in place that we don't change the map along the way, to avoid frictions," Captain Verissimo said.

"As you change maps it creates new frictions and new issues."

He doesn't mention it by name, but the only nation trying to change the map out here is China, which has drawn a so-called "Nine Dash Line" around waters it claims as its own.

It doesn't want anyone going near any of its artificial islands.

 "I will say our navigation is very good and we know where international law says we can operate and I know where international law says we can't. And we're going to do what international law says we can do.")


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