WASHINGTON: A US war­­s­hip sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam on Sun­day in an operation meant to challenge the competing claims of all three nations, a US Defence Department official said.

The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sai­l­ed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the official said. The operation was first repo­rted by Fox News on Sunday.

It was the second “freedom-of-navigation operation,” or “fonop,” conducted during the presidency of Donald Trump, following a drill in late May in which a US warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea.

Twelve nautical miles marks the territorial limits recognised internationally. Sailing within those 12 miles is meant to show that the United States does not recognise territorial claims there.

“Unlike in the Spratlys, wh­e­re China has created new artificial territory in the last several years, it has effectiv­ely controlled the Paracels si­n­ce 1974,” said Mira Rapp-Ho­oper, a South China Sea exp­ert at the Centre for a New American Security.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2017