A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near a disputed reef in the South China Sea, according to the Defense Department, and China is not happy with the move.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the USS William P. Lawrence, a guided missile destroyer, was within 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross Reef, according to a senior defense official. The destroyer took one pass at the island.
The operation, known in international sea law as "innocent passage," was done to "challenge excessive maritime claims" by China, Taiwan and Vietnam in their attempts to restrict navigation rights in the South China Sea, Defense Department spokesman Bill Urban saidaccording to Reuters.
"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 told Reuters.
Fiery Cross consists of approximately 700 acres of largely dredged materials from the ocean floor, and includes a runway, port and other military facilities.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the USS William P. Lawrence, a guided missile destroyer, was within 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross Reef, according to a senior defense official. The destroyer took one pass at the island.
The operation, known in international sea law as "innocent passage," was done to "challenge excessive maritime claims" by China, Taiwan and Vietnam in their attempts to restrict navigation rights in the South China Sea, Defense Department spokesman Bill Urban saidaccording to Reuters.
"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 told Reuters.
Fiery Cross consists of approximately 700 acres of largely dredged materials from the ocean floor, and includes a runway, port and other military facilities.
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