Since the 1970s, the United States has sought to challenge what it unilaterally deems as "excessive maritime claims" by other countries under the guise of "freedom of navigation".

In recent years, the U.S. has increasingly targeted China as the primary focus of its "Freedom of Navigation Operations", with the South China Sea becoming a key area for its implementation.

On August 25, The "Legal Assessment of the United States' 'Freedom of Navigation'" released by a Chinese research institution employs legal principles and factual evidence to argue that the US so called "freedom of navigation" incorporates numerous self-created concepts and self-defined standards under the guise of customary international law.

This strategy aims to undermine the legitimate rights of other nations while securing a form of "freedom" unconstrained by legal obligations, exposing the hegemonic logic behind American "gunboat diplomacy." Such actions severely disrupt the international maritime order and threaten regional peace and stability.