WASHINGTON – A United States (US) Navy warship sailed by islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Wednesday, in a freedom of navigation operation to mark the latest move by Washington to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the contested waters.
The US Navy’s 7th Fleet said destroyer USS Russell “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law.”
China’s extensive territorial claims in the resource-rich waters have become a hot button issue in an increasingly testy Sino-US relationship. The two countries are at odds over trade, the origins of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and accusations of human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims.
Washington has denounced what it called Beijing’s attempts to bully neighbors with competing interests. China has repeatedly denounced what it called US efforts to foment unrest in the region and interfere in what it regards as its internal affairs.(Reuters)
