Two US NAVY Warships Challenge China's Claims To South China Seadailycaller
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http://dailycaller.com/2018/05/27/us-navy-warships-south-china-sea/Two U.S. Navy warships conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea Sunday — a move likely to raise tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The Arleigh Burke-class, guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins and the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Antietam sailed within 12 nautical miles of several territories in the Paracel Islands, Reuters reported, citing U.S. officials. President Donald Trump’s administration has conducted more than half a dozen freedom of navigation operations (FONOPS) in the past year and a half — more than the four carried out during Obama’s administration, which was decidedly hesitant to challenge China. (RELATED: White House Kept The Navy From Doing Its Job, Fearing China’s Reaction)
Critics suggest FONOPS have very little impact and are largely for show. Nonetheless, the Navy intends to continue to conduct these operations. “We conduct routine and regular Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs), as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future,†U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement.
