In the midst of escalating trade tensions between the US and China, the US military on Sunday stated that the US destroyer Preble sailed “within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Reef,” a disputed territory in the South China sea claimed by China, Taiwan and the Philippines.
The US army said it carried out the operation “in order to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law.” China responded to the move on Monday, by strongly urging the US “to stop such provocative actions.”
Read more: U.S. warship sails in disputed South China Sea amid trade tensions
