AGENCIES
China has lodged protest over two US warships sailing near islands in the disputed South China Sea. Chinese officials said that it violates its sovereignty.
The US guided-missile destroyers ‘Preble’ and ‘Chung Hoon’ travelled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing calls Nansha.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told media that its navy identified the US vessels and asked them to leave.
The latest US challenge to Beijing’s territorial claims in the region comes amid trade tensions between the two countries.
China claims South China Sea as its own territory and oppose naval operations in the disputed waters. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have competing claims in the region.