Two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China on Monday at the South China Sea, the U.S. military said.
Meanwhile, warship sailing might anger Beijing at a time of tense relationships between the two largest economies in the world.
The South China Sea is one of a growing number of U.S .- China relationship flashpoints, including a trade war, U.S. sanctions, and Taiwan as well.
President Donald Trump dramatically increased China’s pressure to reach a trade deal by announcing on Sunday that he would raise U.S. tariffs to Chinese goods worth 200 billion dollars this week and target hundreds of billions earlier.
“The U.S. guided missile destroyers, Preble and Chung Hoon, were traveling in the Spratly Islands within 12 nautical miles from Gaven and Johnson Reefs,” a U.S. military spokesman told Reuters.
Commander Clay Doss, Seventh Fleet spokesperson, said the “innocent passage” was “to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to waterways as governed by international law.”
The U.S. military has a long-standing position that its operations are being conducted worldwide, including in areas claimed by allies, and separate from political considerations.
The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as the efforts of Beijing to limit navigation freedom in strategic waters where Chinese, Japanese, and some Southeast Asian navies operate.
China claims nearly all of the strategic South China Sea and often lambasts the U.S. and its allies over naval operations near the occupied Chinese islands.
There are competing claims in the region from Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan.
In the past, China and the US have traded barbs repeatedly over what Washington says is Beijing’s militarization of the South China Sea by building artificial islands and reefs with military installations.
China advocates its construction as necessary for self-defense and claims that it is the U.S. that is responsible for reinforcing tensions in the region by sending warships and military aircraft near Beijing’s islands.
Chinese navy chief said in April that navigation freedom should not be used to infringe other countries ‘ rights.
Report says navigation freedom comes weeks after a major naval parade that marks 70 years since the Chinese navy was founded.
The U.S. only sent a low-level delegation to the anniversary events of the Chinese navy.
