US warship sails close to disputed islands in SCS

BEIJING: An American warship sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the US Navy has said, challenging Beijing’s claims on the resourcerich waterway and prompting a warning from the Chinese military.

The Thursday operation came a day after China fired ballistic missiles into the sea as part of ongoing live-fire exercises, inflaming already high tensions between Washington and Beijing. The US regularly conduct “freedom of navigation operations” in the area to challenge Chinese territorial claims.

The US Navy’s Pacific Fleet said in a statement that the USS Mustin, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed on Thursday “in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands to ensure critical shipping lanes in the area remain free and open”.

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