Latest reports confirmed that a U.S. warship was just spotted near the South China which has been the disputed island claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, China, and even Philippines. According to the Defense Department, this was just meant to challenge the competing claims of these nations or countries.
The name of the U.S. warship is USS Stethem which is considered a guided-missile destroyer. It was made known that this warship sailed 12 nautical miles of Triton Island which is a part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
BBC reported that throughout the presidency of Donald Trump, this was considered as the second freedom of navigation already. It can be recalled that last May, a U.S. warship was also seen and sailed 12 nautical miles of China's artificial island in the South China Sea.
Because of this, China just condemned this telling that the entry was not right and further claimed that the U.S. ship just made an unauthorized entry into its territorial waters. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the said country also shared that the operation was a total political and military provocation by the U.S.
Apart from those statements, China already sent fighter jets plus battle ships in order to give warning to USS Stethem and to the government of the U.S. With that, the country also asked U.S., to just stop meddling and doing this kind of provocative action which is putting the security of China in danger.
In response to the said operation, CNN claimed that China is making sure that it will take all important measures to defend the country. In this case, perhaps the U.S. was doing so since 12 nautical miles marks the territorial limits which is recognized by all countries across the globe. That's why sailing within those 12 nautical miles only showed that the U.S. did not recognize China's claims in the said territory.
Perhaps there is another reason for the U.S. why it did this kind of military operation in the South China Sea. It can be recalled that Donald Trump asked China through President Xi Jinping to pressure North Korea but it looks like China has not done more to do this.
