Joint exercise by US Navy, Marines in South China Sea

More than $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year from the South China Sea. Therefore, it is quite vital for the countries in the region to have access to the route for trading activities.

New Delhi, Feb 14: Ukraine is not the only place where a lot of geopolitical tension is happening. The latest hotspot for military tension is South China Sea, especially after the Chinese balloon breaching the US' air sovereignty. The current state of mind of the American defence establishment is to act tough on China as the latter has violated the airspace.

In its efforts to showcase its military power to the Chinese regime, the United States Navy and Marine Corps have started joint exercises and that too in the South China Sea which China claims its own. Although it is clear now that the balloon from China was not just aimed at intelligence gathering from the US but the whole range of nations, Americans have acted tough.

Additionally, as it appears and even the Pentagon corroborating suspected Chinese spy balloons have been part of a large surveillance program carried out by Xi Jinping. The US has not just shot down the balloon but reassembled it at the same time to know what exactly was China up to. The kind of data it gathered would tell what China was looking for from these spy balloons.

USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group

Earlier last month the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) visited Singapore and entered the South China Sea subsequently to look after American interests in the region. Citing the sources from the 7th Fleet based which operates from Japan, media reports claim that the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit are carrying out the joint exercise from the last couple of days.

The joint exercise has been termed as "integrated expeditionary strike force operations" and aims to counter any threats that may emanate from expansionist China. In addition to ships, several ground forces and aircrafts are part of the joint exercise. Although the reports claim the exercise was scheduled long ago, since it is coinciding with the balloon incident, speculations have been ripe.

Securing South China Sea for trade activities

Although China claims the whole sea as its own, the US and other regional countries don't agree with the same as it should be open for trade and navigation for all. More than $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year from the South China Sea. Therefore, it is quite vital for the countries in the region to have access to the route for trading activities.

The US is not just securing Taiwan and Japan from aggressive Chinese expansionist design but also ensuring free and fair access of the South China Sea for other nations in the region.