Australia has backed the United States in its freedom of navigation operation close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea. US guided missile destroyer, the USS William P. Lawrence, travelled within 12 nautical miles of Chinese-occupied Fiery Cross Reef.
China and the United States have traded accusations of militarizing the South China Sea as China undertakes large-scale land reclamation to create artificial islands and construction on disputed features, while the United States has increased its patrols and exercises.