The U.S. Navy has sailed a warship near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a strategic flash point in the South China Sea claimed by China, in a move expected to stoke anger in Beijing as the world¡¯s two biggest economies remain embroiled in a trade war.
The USS Preble guided-missile destroyer carried out the operation Sunday, a U.S. military spokesman told The Japan Times on Monday.
The Preble conducted a so-called freedom of navigation operation (FONOP), sailing ¡°within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of Scarborough Reef in order to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law,¡± said Cmdr. Clay Doss, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy¡¯s Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture-based 7th Fleet.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.