US Navy Destroyer Sails Near Disputed Islands In South China Sea

A US Navy destroyer conducted a “freedom of navigation” operation near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday, two defense officials told CNN.

This happens even as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks Chinese cooperation in dealing with North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs.

The USS Chafee, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, did not come within 12 miles of any individual islands — a distance China considers territorial waters — but did enter the “straight baseline” that Beijing claims around the island group, according to the officials.

 
The operation was part of a longstanding effort to challenge Beijing’s “excessive maritime claims,” the officials said, adding that the US does not recognize China’s claim of sovereignty in that location and regards the area as international waters.