A US Navy destroyer sailed on Saturday within 12 nautical miles of an island claimed by China and two other states in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of operations the Pentagon says are designed to defend freedom of navigation.
The USS Curtis Wilbur navigated within 12 miles of Triton Island in the Paracel island chain, which is controlled by China and also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
Known as a freedom of navigation operation, the Pentagon says the US does not use such patrols to dispute claims to the actual islands but seeks to challenge restrictions on the surrounding waters.
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