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U.S. Navy Urges Southeast Asian Patrols of South China Sea

:US marines amphibious assault vehicles prepare to hit the beach during the amphibious assault simulation by Philippine and US marines of 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa Japan. — :US marines amphibious assault vehicles prepare to hit the beach during the amphibious assault simulation by Philippine and US marines of 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit based in Okinawa Japan.
Photographer: Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images

By

Sharon Chen

March 18, 2015, 1:09 AM UTCUpdated onMarch 18, 2015, 4:50 AM UTC

The commander of the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet called on Southeast Asian nations to form a combined maritime force to patrol areas of the South China Sea where territorial tensions flare with China.

Countries could streamline cooperation on maritime security while respecting sovereignty and coastal space, as in the case of counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden, Vice Admiral Robert Thomas said Tuesday at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia.