When a US Navy destroyer sailed past the Spratly Islands in late October, much of Asia breathed a sigh of relief. The administration of President Barack Obama had put deed to the insistence of Ashton Carter, defence secretary, that the US “will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows”. A line had been drawn in China’s “Great Wall of Sand”, demonstrating US freedom to operate at will in the South China Sea.
今年10月下旬,当一艘美国海军驱逐舰驶过斯普拉特利群岛(Spratly Islands,manbetx3.0 称南沙群岛——译者注)时,亚洲的大部分国家都松了一口气。美国总统巴拉克•奥巴马(Barack Obama)领导的行政当局用行动践行了国防部长阿什顿•卡特(Ashton Carter)的坚决主张,即美国“将在国际法允许的任何地方飞行、航行和行动”。美国给manbetx3.0 的“沙长城”划了一条界线,宣示美国能够在南manbetx3.0 海按照自己的意愿展开行动。