Admiral Scott Harbison Swift , who was in the country last week as part of his familiarization tour having assumed the command last May 27, said “The common view of UNCLOS is that it allows military operations within the EEZ’s of many countries.”
He declared this U.S. position in an interview with a small group of reporters. Swift was asked about their view of freedom of navigation as China intensifies its activities in South China Sea like what was reported by CNN that the Chinese navy shooed away the U.S. surveillance plane over areas that China were reclaiming and constructing facilities in the disputed areas of South China Sea.