The Decatur had sailed within 22 kilometers of Johnson and Gaven reefs in the Spratly chain as part of the United States’ FONOP program. The operations are intended to enforce the right of free passage in international waters under international law. Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines also claim the two islets. The photos, published on […]
Read MoreChina accused the United States of mocking its sovereignty after an American warship cruised near islands claimed by China in the disputed South China Sea, further disturbing relations between the two countries. A Chinese destroyer appeared within meters of the U.S. Navy ship Sunday, forcing it to change direction in what American officials called an […]
Read MoreChina has dropped a security meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis that had been planned for this October, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday, days after a top Chinese official said there was no reason to panic over tensions between the countries. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday there was […]
Read MoreThe United States sent a guided-missile destroyer Sunday to challenge China’s expansive claims to the disputed South China Sea and sailing near Chinese-occupied territories. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation, sailing within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-held territories in the Spratly Islands. The US Navy’s freedom-of-navigation operations “challenge excessive maritime […]
Read More
