US sends guided-missile cruiser to South China Sea to challenge ‘excessive’ Chinese claims
- USS Chancellorsville was confirmed as having conducted a ‘freedom of navigation’ exercise on Monday
- Operation highlights ongoing tensions in the disputed waters in lead-up to Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump’s meeting at G20 summit
The US Navy confirmed on Thursday that it conducted a “freedom of navigation” operation by sending a guided-missile cruiser, USS Chancellorsville, near the contested Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Monday.
“USS Chancellorsville sailed near the Paracel Islands to challenge excessive maritime claims and preserve access to the waterways as governed by international law,” US Pacific Fleet spokesman Nathan Christensen said in a statement.
The US warship conducted the operation near the islands – known in China as the Xisha Islands – to challenge claims made by China, Christensen added.
The Chancellorsville was shadowed by a Chinese vessel during the operation but all interactions were deemed safe and professional, two anonymous US officials were quoted by CNN as saying, adding that China later issued a formal diplomatic protest about the cruiser’s operation.
“We urge the US to strengthen the management of its vessels and aircraft that pass by Chinese territory to prevent unexpected events,” People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre spokesman Li Huamin said in a statement.