The Navy destroyer USS Stethem
The Navy destroyer USS Stethem conducted a "right of innocent
passage" exercise Sunday near a tiny but bitterly disputed island
occupied by China in the South China Sea.
The Stethem sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracel archipelago, also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Twelve nautical miles is a standard international boundary extending offshore from all nations.
The U.S. has no official stance on the ownership of the islands. China has been building up reefs and turning them into islands, some with military fortifications.
Innocent passage is an international concept that generally allows for a ship to pass through the territorial waters of another country. U.S. ships routinely conduct such exercises in areas where nations attempt to restrict such passage by demanding prior notice or other actions, Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet, told USA TODA
composed by alahjiquadri
The Stethem sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island in the Paracel archipelago, also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Twelve nautical miles is a standard international boundary extending offshore from all nations.
The U.S. has no official stance on the ownership of the islands. China has been building up reefs and turning them into islands, some with military fortifications.
Innocent passage is an international concept that generally allows for a ship to pass through the territorial waters of another country. U.S. ships routinely conduct such exercises in areas where nations attempt to restrict such passage by demanding prior notice or other actions, Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet, told USA TODA
composed by alahjiquadri
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