Patrol marks most serious US challenge yet to territorial limit China claims around the islands in South China Sea,and follows months of deliberationThe US navy plans to send the USS Lassen destroyer within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands built by China in the South China Sea within 24 hours, the first of more regular challenges to China’s territorial claims, and according to a US defense official. The destroyers patrol would occur near Subi and Mischief reefs in the Spratly archipelago,features that were formerly submerged at tall tide before China began a massive dredging project to turn them into islands in 2014. Related: whether US relations with China turn sour, there will probably be war | Timothy Garton Ash Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com