...American officials did not inform their Chinese counterparts as they planned the provocative maneuver, saying that to do so would have undercut their message. （美国官方没有通知中国，因为这样做，就降低了信息的分量）
“You don’t need to consult with any nation when you are exercising the right of freedom of navigation in international waters,” John Kirby, the State Department spokesman, said at a news conference.
Mr. Kirby said that such a challenge to what he called a questionable sovereignty claim was “one of the reasons you have a navy — to be able to exert influence and defend freedom of navigation on international waters.” （这样的挑战，就是为什么你需要海军）
