The U.S. Navy will still challenge claims by nations like China to exclusive access in the South China Sea, Pacific Fleet Commander Scott Swift said, insisting a hiatus in “freedom of navigation” patrols doesn’t mean the disputed waterway is a lower priority for the Trump presidency.
“We just went through a change in administration,” Admiral Swift said on Monday at a briefing in Singapore. “I am not surprised that process has continued in a dialogue as the new administration gets its feet on the ground and determines where would be appropriate to take advantage of these opportunities and where we may want to wait.”
“We just present the opportunities when we have a ship in the area and there is an area of interest,” he said, adding that the Navy continues to propose such operations. There’s been "no change in policy” toward the region under Donald Trump, he said.
The U.S. hasn’t conducted any so-called FONOPs in the South China Sea since Trump took office, a Pentagon official said previously. Such patrols -- where ships or planes go near features claimed by China and others to test their assertions to exclusive access -- have typically produced protests from Beijing. The U.S. isn’t a claimant in the South China Sea, where China has built military airstrips and boosted its naval presence.