In recent months, China has been building artificial islands and claiming the area surrounding them as Chinese territory. This has elevated tensions in the South China Sea, which is widely considered international water.
Today, the US sent the USS Lassen into waters claimed by China as a demonstration that ships may pass freely under UN law. The destroyer was also accompanied by two surveillance planes. For now, it seems like the event went by without conflict, but tensions with China remain high. In the last few weeks, the USS Lassen and Chinese ships have had encounters where both parties engage in "aggressive naval maneuvers," although there was no fighting.
Over the last year, China has become increasingly assertive along the Pacific, which has caused worry among allies of the US. Japan's ability to mobilize it's military was reinstated for the first time in 70 years amid China's expansion into the South China Sea.
Chinese state media claims that the US is acting provocative and hostile, while the US is literally enforcing the law that prohibits artificial expansion of territory.
Russia and China sure are causing some headaches. Their "professional internet trolls" are swarming article comment sections, which is always annoying. China's counterarguments are as half-baked as ever, and they're generally making my day worse every time I read the news. (Not to mention the government censorship/cyberattacks) If we're going to get to Mars someday, we'll need China's help and democratic vote. What's worse, is that these current events aren't reported on as much as Kim Kardashian's new dog. WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO HAVE A NEWS SEGMENT DEDICATED TO SOCIAL MEDIA, ANYWAY?
Cameron Eisenberg- I agree media focuses too much on celebrity day to day junk, but how is China going to get us to Mars? Are we planning a joint space program or do we need the UN's vote or what?
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