China Scrambles Fighters As U.S. Sails Warship Near Chinese-Claimed Reef
Source: Reuters
By Michael Martina, Greg Torode and Ben Blanchard
BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - China scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday as a U.S. navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a patrol China denounced as an illegal threat to peace which only went to show its defense installations in the area were necessary.
Guided missile destroyer the USS William P. Lawrence traveled within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of Chinese-occupied Fiery Cross Reef, U.S. Defense Department spokesman Bill Urban said.
The so-called freedom of navigation operation was undertaken to "challenge excessive maritime claims" by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam which were seeking to restrict navigation rights in the South China Sea, Urban said.
"These excessive maritime claims are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention in that they purport to restrict the navigation rights that the United States and all states are entitled to exercise," Urban said in an emailed statement.
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-conducts-freedom-navigation-operation-south-china-sea-052908352.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
