China's military said on Thursday it had monitored and driven away a U.S. destroyer that illegally entered waters around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
From what I can tell, neither country has a particularly strong claim to them. It’s just that the South China Sea has a strong strategic value, both militarily and as a passage for shipping goods. The US has for decades been doing freedom of navigation operations with the aim of disrupting any norm around disputed claims, particularly when island building is involved.
From what I can tell, neither country has a particularly strong claim to them. It’s just that the South China Sea has a strong strategic value, both militarily and as a passage for shipping goods. The US has for decades been doing freedom of navigation operations with the aim of disrupting any norm around disputed claims, particularly when island building is involved.