The Diplomat by Ankit Panda 1/29/2020
The FONOP marked the first known operation in the area so far in 2020.On January 25, a U.S. Navy warship carried out a freedom of navigation operation near a feature occupied by China in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The operation marked the first known U.S. Navy freedom of navigation operation, or FONOP, in the South China Sea in 2020.
The operation was carried out by USS Montgomery, an Independence-class littoral combat ship. “On Jan. 25, a U.S. warship asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law,†a spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement. The latest FONOP challenged “challenged the restrictions on innocent passage,†the statement said.
U.S. FONOPs in the South China Sea have commonly challenged Chinese restrictions on innocent passage. The Montgomery’s operation challenges restrictions near Fiery Cross Reef, a feature in the Spratly Islands that China converted into a large artificial island, featuring an airstrip. On Tuesday, Chinese military authorities noted that they had “expelled a U.S. warship†from waters in the South China Sea, the state-run Global Times newspaper reported.
More:
https://thediplomat.com/2020/01/south-china-sea-us-littoral-combat-ship-conducts-freedom-of-navigation-operation/
