Tensions have been high in the South China Sea for many years. Because of China‘s broad claims about its historical ownership of a wide swath of that area, China has been in conflict with many countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, to name a few. In many cases, these conflicts have resulted in casualties.
Plowing ahead undeterred by criticism or counterclaims, China has been on a very active program of building up islands in this territory by adding to their size with dredging. In addition, many of these islands have been turned into military outposts with fortifications, airstrips, and port facilities. These fortified islands are directly in the path of major commercial shipping lanes in the South China Sea, and the fear is that China will try to interfere with commercial shipping and aviation at some point. It would be easy for them to embargo the ships or planes if they desired. China denies that this is its intention, but the fears are not allayed by their denials.
The U.S. Navy has been actively showing the flag in the South China Sea by making transits through the area called “Freedom of Navigation Operations” or FONOPs. These are intended to enforce the message that these are international waters and that China cannot claim the right to deny movement through the area. Of course, this creates a direct conflict between the U.S. and China, and several dangerous incidents have occurred over the years between the two antagonists.
Thus, the Chinese would love to drive the U.S. Navy out of the area. They devise a plot to infect the Navy ships with an enhanced variant of the COVID-19 virus, the COVID-21 virus, which is more deadly and more transmissible. They intend to drive the U.S. Navy out of the area by placing it on Navy ships.
