A powerful United States Navy Warship, the USS Lassen defies and challenges China’s occupation of some islands in the hotly-disputed Spratly Islands claimed and occupied by China. The US Navy warship entered disputed waters near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
The move of the United States is considered as a direct challenge to China that claims artificial chain of islands after Beijing built the area and claimed that it is withing their territorial borders despite the huge distance from China’s main southern island of Hainan.
The United States maneuver of their guided missile destroyer drew an angry protest from China and accused the US that it threatened the US-China relations and regional peace in the regions but the Philippines, a US ally, welcome the move as a way of helping maintain “a balance of power” in the strategic waterway.
According to a US defense official, the USS Lassen sailed without a hitch within what China claims as a 21-kilometer (12-nautical-mile) territorial limit around Subi Reef.
Another US Official also confirmed that the patrol which lasted a few hours, also included Mischief Reef, both Subi and Mischief Reef were claimed by Manila as they lie within the 370-kilometer (200-nautical-mile) exclusive economic zone (EZ) of the Philippines.
