Non-Subscriber Extract
US and China jostle for position
By Christian Le Mière
19 March 2009
The US has a history of maritime deployments and diplomacy in Asia. From the 'black ships' of Commodore Perry that led to the opening up of Japan in 1853 to the positioning of two aircraft carrier battle groups off the coast of Taiwan in 1996, US naval power has been a key arbiter in the affairs of the western Pacific.
However, the events of early March 2009 have suggested that this hegemonic role is now being challenged more openly. A naval incident involving Chinese ships and a US surveillance vessel on 8 March 70 nautical miles south of Hainan island was followed the next day by Washington's deployment of a destroyer escort for the surveillance ship and China's deployment of a civilian patrol ship on 10 March to the Paracel Islands.