Joseph Gerson shared the following slightly edited version of a CNN report.https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-and-france-flex-muscles-in-south-china-sea-raising-beijing-e2-80-99s-ire/ar-BB1dwUK0

U.S. and France flex muscles in South China Sea, raising Beijing’s ire

CNN – Feb. 9,2021

CNN reports that two U.S. carrier groups are conducting exercises in the South China Sea, reinforced by  France which announced one of its attack submarines had sailed through the zone.

According to CNN:

• The Navy reported that “The aircraft carriers Theodore Roosevelt and Nimitz “conducted a multitude of exercises aimed at increasing interoperability between assets as well as command and control capabilities,” 
• This came days following USS John S. McCain conducing “freedm of navigation” show of force maneuvers near of the Paracel Islands.
• A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman denounced the current military exercises as “a show of force.”
• France’s defense minister Florence Parly reported that a French attack submarine and its support vessel had sailed “through the South China Sea to reaffirm, together with Australia, Japan and the U.S., that ‘international law is the only rule that matters’.”

CNN further reported that these naval exercises were the first under the Biden administration, and  that “the U.S. Navy as eager to tweet a picture of a phone call between President Joe Biden and Rear Admiral Jim Kirk aboard the Nimitz. The simultaneous French action” it continued, seems consistent “with Biden’s preference for working with allies when dealing with China.”

Comment by Joseph Gerson: I had no illusions about Biden and foreign and military policy. Among many other things, he closes each of his major public speeches with these words: “And may God protect our troops.” Also fyi, Britain is planning to send its Queen Elizabether aircraft carrier to the South China Sea shortly.