Ever wondered why headlines about the USS Higgins popping up on your Insta feed? These naval flybys are no random showboating—they’re the U.S.'s annual “Freedom of Navigation Operations” (FONOPs) flex. 🌊🚢
Each year since 1991, the U.S. Department of Defense drops a report calling out 11 countries and regions (mostly in Asia) for “excessive maritime claims.” This year’s list shrank from 19 to 11, with the Philippines oddly missing despite its own South China Sea tussles. 🤨
China remains the top target: Washington says four Chinese policies in the South and East China Seas—like requiring permission for military ship passages or drawing “straight baselines”—violate global rules. Days after the report, the USS Higgins sailed into the territorial sea of Huangyan Dao without Beijing’s approval, making sure everyone saw the message.
But here’s the plot twist: the U.S. itself isn’t even a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)—the closest thing we have to a universal ocean rulebook. It calls out others for “excessive claims” while unilaterally writing its own playbook and ignoring similar moves by allies like the Philippines or even Israel’s long-running blockade by Gaza’s waters. 📜⚖️
Under the sea and in the skies, FONOPs have little to do with pure “freedom of navigation” and more to do with projecting military power and justifying big budgets back home. Instead of calming frictions, these operations often reignite regional spats that were simmering down.
Whether you’re ordering nasi lemak via Grab in KL or a chai latte with Flipkart in Bangalore, remember: what happens in the South China Sea affects the ships carrying your parcels. Our region needs cooperation and stability—not another geopolitical battleground. 🌏✌️
Time for the U.S. to rethink its role: rule enforcer or rule maker? The seas are big enough for everyone—let’s sail smarter, not harder. 🤝
Reference(s):
How the U.S. uses 'freedom of navigation' to assert its own rules
cgtn.com
