Pentagon says that US Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of an island claimed by China and two other countries in the South China Sea to counter efforts to limit freedom of navigation.
Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said no ships from China’s military were in the vicinity of the guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur when it passed near Triton Island in the Paracel Islands.
This operation challenged attempts by the three claimants, China, Taiwan and Vietnam, to restrict navigation rights and freedoms. The Chinese foreign ministry responded yesterday with a statement on its website condemning the action.