- Title: AT SEA: U.S. aircraft carrier to visit the Philippines
- Date: 4th September 2010
- Summary: SOUTH CHINA SEA (SEPTEMBER 2, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FIGHTER JETS ON BOARD USS GEORGE WASHINGTON HELICOPTER HOVERING ABOVE SEA FIGHTER JET TAKING OFF FROM CARRIER VARIOUS OF JET TOUCHING DOWN LIGHT TOWER ON CARRIER (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAPTAIN OF U.S.S. GEORGE WASHINGTON DAVID LAUSMAN SAYING: "The international waters throughout the world belong to everybody, and yet they belong to nobody at the same time. We all share them and to exercise the rights of every country throughout the world to operate peacefully in international waters is a core interest of us. It's a core interest of every country." CARRIER PERSONNEL UNLOADING SUPPLIES FROM JETS FIGHTER JETS PARKED IN HANGAR . (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAPTAIN OF U.S.S. GEORGE WASHINGTON DAVID LAUSMAN SAYING: "All of our countries have a very rich reliance on maritime commerce. And the requirement for us to keep the international waterways in the Western Pacific, throughout the whole world as a matter of fact, stable and secure is a natural core interest of every country. Philippines, United States, Vietnam, China, Korea -- name the country, we all need to have stable maritime sealinks." JET FLYING OVER CARRIER JET TAXIING ON RUNWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAPTAIN OF U.S.S. GEORGE WASHINGTON DAVID LAUSMAN SAYING: "Make no mistake, this is a very lethal power projection aircraft carrier. We can take its full power to whatever we need to, and we really hope it never happens."
- Embargoed: 19th September 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA7MKX8HD0FYG9LPZSU5960A4T8
- Story Text: The USS George Washington aircraft carrier sailed towards Manila on Friday (September 3), for a visit aimed to enhance ties between the United States and the Philippines.
U.S. navymen on the supercarrier will join community relations projects and professional exchanges with their Philippine counterparts when they dock in Manila.
The U.S. navy maintains a strong presence in the Western Pacific, with a naval base in Japan and visits in ports across the South China Sea.
The USS George Washington commander, Captain David Lausman, said maintaining stability in international waters was a paramount concern.
"The international waters throughout the world belong to everybody and yet they belong to nobody at the same time. We all share them and to exercise the rights of every country throughout the world to operate peacefully in international waters is a core interest of us," Lausman told reporters as the ship anchored 170 nautical miles away from Manila.
U.S. warships and Chinese submarines playing dangerous cat-and-mouse games in the South China Sea last year caused a collision between sonar equipment being towed by a U.S. Navy warship and a Chinese submarine near Philippine waters.
The United States wanted to ensure freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and urged several states claiming dozens of islets to settle the dispute peacefully and amicably to lessen tension in the region.
China's growing military might and rising defence spending have set off alarm bells around the region, particularly in Japan and Taiwan.
"All of our countries have a very rich reliance on maritime commerce. And the requirement for us to keep the international waterways in the western pacific, throughout the whole world as a matter of fact, stable and secure is a natural core interest of every country. Philippines, United States, Vietnam, China, Korea -- name the country, we all need to have stable maritime sealinks."
China has repeatedly said its claims on the southern waters and islands are indisputable. In late August it planted a national flag using a manned submarine deep beneath the South China Sea. The government did not say whether the submarine visited disputed waters. China, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan all stake claims to territories in the South China Sea, which holds potentially big energy sources and is a major shipping route.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised the territorial claims in the sea at a regional forum in July, and said Washington backed a multilateral approach to resolving them.
Lausman said the USS George Washington was focused on humanitarian missions, but its war capabilities are immense.
"Make no mistake -- this is a very lethal power projection aircraft carrier. We can take its full power to whatever we need to, and we really hope it never happens," Lausman said.
The USS George Washington is a nuclear-powered supercarrier with a flight deck of 4.5 acres that can accomodate 80 aircraft.
U.S. Navy ships pay routine port calls in Manila under a Cold War-era mutual defence treaty. The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet used to be home-ported in Subic bay, north of Manila until November 1992 when the Philippines did not renew its U.S. bases deal.
The navymen from the USS George Washington will participate in reading sessions with underprivileged children, mural painting, a creek cleanup, daycare construction, and school visits. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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