Subscriber Only
Politics
U.S. Warships Challenge China Sea Claims for Third Time in 2019
By
Updated on
-
Destroys sail pass Gavin, Johnson reefs in disputed Spratlys
-
Operation comes amid simmering trade tensions with Beijing
USS Chung-Hoon and USS Howard in Puerto Princesa on the western Philippine island of Palawan.
Photographer: Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images
Two U.S. warships sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea on Monday, challenging Beijing’s claims for the third time this year amid simmering trade tensions.
The guided-missile destroyers USS Preble and USS Chung-Hoon passed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs, said Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet. The China-occupied features are part of the Spratly chain, which are also claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
