In Beijing's backyard, U.S. flexes military might

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STORY: A demonstration of U.S. military power in some of the world's most hotly contested waters as dozens of combat planes and helicopters roar on and off the flight deck of the U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz.

The Nimitz is leading a carrier strike group that entered the South China Sea two weeks ago.

Its presence riles China, which claims historic jurisdiction over almost the entire South China Sea and sees the exercises as provocations in its backyard.

Petty officer Joel Guillen:

“I mean, for the most part, it’s no different than any other deployment I’ve been on. We’re just here to move aircraft, make sure it’s done safely, make sure people don’t get hurt, make sure that we can operate and send aircraft up to the flight deck (so) they do what they got to do.”

The group's commander, Rear Admiral Christopher Sweeney, said it was part of a U.S. commitment to uphold freedom of passage in the waters and the airspace of a region vital to global trade.

Beijing has been conducting regular exercises too and maintains a large presence of coast guard and fishing vessels far off its mainland - a source of frequent tension with its neighbours.

In early January, a guided missile destroyer that is part of the same strike group as the Nimitz angered China by sailing through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.

That came two weeks after a Chinese navy fighter jet caused alarm by coming within 10 feet of a U.S. Air Force plane over the South China Sea.

The U.S. presence in the South China Sea, a conduit for nearly three and a half trillion dollars-worth of annual trade, has been welcomed by allies like Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Australia.