French Navy patrolled the South China Sea

They ships of the French navy recently crossed in the South China Sea, announced Monday, February 8 the Minister of the Armies Florence Parly, of notable maneuvers in these waters claimed by China, sources of multiple tensions. These two buildings were the nuclear attack submarine (SNA) “Émeraude” and the support building “Seine”.

“This extraordinary patrol has just completed a passage in the South China Sea. A striking proof of the capacity of our French Navy to deploy far and for a long time in connection with our Australian, American or Japanese strategic partners ”, tweeted Florence Parly.

This area of ​​the South China Sea, highly strategic for maritime trade flows, is the subject of multiple tensions. China, whose military maritime power is in full expansion, claims sovereignty there while other powers, led by the United States, proclaim the freedom of navigation, making this area a potential source of conflict between the two great global systemic rivals.

“Enrich our knowledge of this area”

France, an ally of the United States, particularly within NATO, and which has important exclusive economic zones in the Pacific because of its overseas lands, has considered for several years that the Indo-Pacific zone and the defense of the freedom of navigation are priorities. “Why such a mission? To enrich our knowledge of this area and to affirm that international law is the only rule that is valid, whatever the sea where we are sailing, ”the Minister developed.

In April 2019, there was a naval incident between Chinese ships and the French frigate Vendemiaire which was sailing in the Taiwan Strait, another sensitive area for Beijing, whose ships had told the Vendémiaire to leave.

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