US sails warship past contested islands in South China Sea, ahead of G20 summit
By Ryan Browne, CNN
Updated 11:52 PM ET, Thu November 29, 2018
Washington (CNN)The US Navy sailed the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville near contested islands in the South China Sea Monday, less than a week before US and Chinese leaders are due to meet for a high-stakes summit at the G20 in Argentina, two US officials told CNN.
The "USS Chancellorsville sailed near the Paracel islands to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law," US Navy Cmdr. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for US Pacific Fleet, told CNN in a statement.
The US warship conducted what is referred to as a "Freedom of Navigation Operation" in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands to challenge claims made by China, Christensen added.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/29/politics/us-warship-south-china-sea/index.html
