A U. S. warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam on Sunday in an operation meant to challenge the competing claims of all three nations, a U. S. Defense Department official said. The…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U. S. warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam on Sunday in an operation meant to challenge the competing claims of all three nations, a U. S. Defense Department official said.
The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the official said.
The operation was first reported by Fox News on Sunday.
It was the second « freedom-of-navigation operation, » or « fonop, » conducted during the presidency of Donald Trump, following a drill in late May in which a U. S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea.
China called the operation « serious political and military provocation, » according to the official Xinhua News Agency, citing a statement on Sunday by Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang. China sent ships and fighter planes to warn off the Stethem, Lu said, according to the report.
