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U.S. destroyer sails near disputed Chinese island

BY SOFREP News Team

The U.S. Navy on Tuesday sent a guided missile destroyer within 12 miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea where China has built an airstrip — prompting China to scramble fighter jets and dispatch warships to “expel” the American ship. “USS William P. Lawrence exercised the right of innocent passage while transiting […]

The U.S. Navy on Tuesday sent a guided missile destroyer within 12 miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea where China has built an airstrip — prompting China to scramble fighter jets and dispatch warships to “expel” the American ship.

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“USS William P. Lawrence exercised the right of innocent passage while transiting inside 12 nautical miles of Fiery Cross Reef, a high-tide feature that is occupied by China, but also claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam,” a Pentagon statement said.

“This operation challenged attempts by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam to restrict navigation rights around the features they claim … contrary to international law,” the statement continued.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 12 nautical miles is considered the limit at which a nation’s rule extends off its shores.

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The Law of the Sea defines “innocent passage” as a transit in which a ship does not conduct any military, commercial or research activities.

The Pentagon statement said the U.S. did not notify any of the countries involved about the destroyer’s transit in advance.

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Read More- CNN

Image courtesy of wikipedia 

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