US warships provoke at Xianbin Reef for the first time, PLA monitors throughout! Experts interpret the calculations behind the US military.

[Global Times - Global Network Report by reporter Guo Yuandan] The Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army announced at noon on the 20th that in the early hours of that day, a U.S. warship intruded into the waters near Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands without the permission of the Chinese government. The Navy of the Southern Theater Command organized forces to track and monitor it in accordance with the law and regulations. A review of previous official announcements reveals that this is the first time a U.S. warship has carried out provocative actions in the waters near Xianbin Reef. On the 20th, experts interviewed by the Global Times stated that the announcement was made by the spokesperson of the Southern Theater Command, indicating that this is a routine response action and once again demonstrating to the international community that China has no room for compromise or concession on issues of territorial sovereignty and maritime rights.

Naval Colonel Yin Gang, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command Navy, disclosed in a statement that the U.S. "Charleston" Littoral Combat Ship intruded into the waters near Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands without the permission of the Chinese government, and the Navy of the Southern Theater Command organized forces to track and monitor it in accordance with the law and regulations.

“The incident occurred in the early morning, and the Southern Theater Command Navy immediately organized forces to track and monitor it, and after the incident, made a statement through authoritative channels. This indicates that the Southern Theater Command Navy has all-weather situational awareness and rapid response capabilities in the South China Sea, able to timely detect, grasp, and handle relevant dynamics. Any unauthorized intrusion behavior is under the monitoring and control of the Chinese side,” military expert Zhang Junsha told the Global Times.

Yin Gang emphasized that China has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, and the actions of the U.S. side infringe upon China's sovereign rights and threaten maritime security, which is detrimental to regional peace and stability. The U.S. side should immediately cease related activities. The theater troops maintain a high level of readiness at all times to defend national sovereignty and security and maintain regional peace and stability.

In response, Zhang Junsha stated that China's position is very clear: it sends a strong signal that the PLA will resolutely defend national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, and also indicates that the Chinese military has the capability and determination to respond to various security threats, remaining highly vigilant against any provocative actions.

“Since 2015, the U.S. military has frequently entered relevant waters in the South China Sea to carry out so-called freedom of navigation operations, so this may be a routine annual planned operation by the U.S. military, indicating that there has been no fundamental change in the U.S. policy towards China on the South China Sea issue,” said Chen Xiangmiao, a researcher at the South China Sea Institute, in an interview with the Global Times on the 20th. The competition and game between China and the U.S. in the South China Sea direction continue.

This expert noted that the U.S. military's choice of Xianbin Reef for this operation is worth pondering. “This is the first time the U.S. military has intruded into the waters near Xianbin Reef.” Chen Xiangmiao analyzed that previous similar actions by the U.S. military often occurred near islands and reefs actually controlled by China, such as Mischief Reef and Subi Reef. This time, “the U.S. warship appearing in the waters near Xianbin Reef may be intentionally testing China's stance on the legal status of Xianbin Reef.”

A report released in June by the think tank South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, titled “Incomplete Report on U.S. Military Activities in the South China Sea in 2025,” shows that in 2025, there were only two confirmed U.S. military “freedom of navigation operations” involving island intrusions in the South China Sea, far below the historical average. The report states that the 2025 operations mainly targeted the waters around the Nansha Islands and Scarborough Shoal, without involving the Xisha Islands. In addition, the U.S. military did not proactively issue official statements regarding the two island intrusion operations, presenting a low-key, low-frequency, and more targeted characteristic.

Zhang Junsha analyzed that Xianbin Reef is located in the southeastern waters of the Nansha Islands, east of Mischief Reef and Second Thomas Shoal, and controls multiple international shipping routes, making its strategic position extremely important. The U.S. military's choice to conduct close provocations here is not accidental, but rather an action taken after careful calculation based on the geopolitical strategic value of the area and other factors.

This military expert believes that Xianbin Reef has been one of the focal points of maritime friction between China and the Philippines in recent years. Philippine Coast Guard vessels frequently engage in illegal intrusions and “beaching” provocations at Xianbin Reef, attempting to create facts on the ground to reaffirm their so-called “sovereignty” over Xianbin Reef in the Nansha Islands. The U.S. military's decision to send vessels for close provocations at this time is partly to provide external military backing for the Philippines' reckless actions, supporting the Philippines and thereby diverting the attention of the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard, consuming China's maritime control costs, and achieving the U.S.'s low-cost, high-yield disruption objectives.

It is noteworthy that the U.S. military dispatched a smaller-tonnage Littoral Combat Ship this time. Zhang Junsha believes this reflects the U.S. military's intentions. “On the one hand, this type of vessel has a small tonnage, shallow draft, and high speed, making it suitable for implementing a ‘hit-and-run’ tactic in nearshore shallow waters.” He further analyzed that the waters near Xianbin Reef are shallow, which is precisely suitable for the high maneuverability characteristics of this type of vessel. On the other hand, a large number of U.S. forces are currently deployed to the Middle East for combat, making their forces in the Asia-Pacific region relatively tight.

“Deploying a small-tonnage, fast Littoral Combat Ship for line-crossing provocations can both test China's reaction speed and control limits, and reduce the burden of long-distance travel and duty for larger vessels,” Zhang Junsha said.

Chen Xiangmiao also believes that the U.S. military's implementation of this action comes at a time when the overall situation in the South China Sea is not very calm. Whether in the direction of Scarborough Shoal or Second Thomas Shoal, the Philippines has recently engaged in frequent provocations, and China has correspondingly carried out law enforcement to safeguard rights, organizing large-scale exercises. “To the outside world, the U.S. military's action this time is to demonstrate support for the Philippines while also showcasing its military presence in the South China Sea,” Chen Xiangmiao stated.