The U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington conducted a patrol in the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday, underscoring America’s continued commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific” amid ongoing tensions with China.
Select members of the media, including GMA News Online, were invited aboard the Nimitz-class carrier to witness its operations.
Captain Timothy Waits, the ship’s commanding officer, emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the region. “This is a vital area, especially for trade and global commerce. The United States shares with many nations the values of keeping sea lanes open and accessible,” he said.
While Waits declined to disclose the exact composition of U.S. naval assets currently in the area, he confirmed that the George Washington operates as part of a broader strike group.
“We work with other ships in the vicinity. Some of them will be docking with us,” he said.
The patrol comes amid persistent maritime tensions, as China continues to assert sweeping claims over nearly the entire South China Sea—a critical waterway for global trade. These claims overlap with areas claimed by several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines.
To reinforce its maritime claim, the Philippine government refers to the portions of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. These include areas around the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.
In 2016, the Philippines won a landmark ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which declared China’s expansive claims had no legal basis—a decision Beijing continues to reject.