PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Defense Secretary Ash Carter strongly defended America’s right to fly over artificial islands that Beijing is building in the South China Sea but gave few hints before a visit to Asia this week about what the United States was willing to do to halt the construction effort.
Carter responded to Chinese complaints about U.S. military flights over the projects by saying, “There should be no mistake in this, the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.”
His comments followed a formal Chinese protest over the flight last week of a Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft over Fiery Cross Reef, where China is reclaiming land to build an island. Carter’s forceful message signaled a sharp start to his 11-day trip that will take him across the Asia-Pacific region, with stops in Singapore, Vietnam and India.