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US Navy stepping up activities in South China Sea, says Chinese think tank
- Guided missile destroyer enters waters claimed by China three times in one week
- Tensions in Taiwan Strait have intensified ahead of planned visit to island by Nancy Pelosi
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US Navy warships and aeroplanes have stepped up activities in the disputed South China Sea, with a guided missile destroyer entering waters claimed by China three times in a week, according to the head of a Beijing-based think tank.
The USS Benfold transited the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, after sailing near the disputed Spratly Islands on July 16 and the Paracel Islands on July 13 during what the United States calls freedom of navigation operations.
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait have been intensifying recently, with a planned visit to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi prompting an outraged response from Beijing. US President Joe Biden has said the Pentagon thinks the trip is “not a good idea right now”.
02:48
China condemns Taiwan visit by EU delegation and travel plans by US House Speaker Pelosi
China condemns Taiwan visit by EU delegation and travel plans by US House Speaker Pelosi
The US has been challenging what it describes as restrictions on innocent passage imposed by Beijing in the South China Sea, with its freedom of navigation operations sometimes warned off by the People’s Liberation Army.
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Describing Benfold’s movements as provocative, Hu Bo, director of the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, said it was rare to see a single US warship challenge China’s claimed territorial waters three times in such a short period.
“There has never been such a situation before as far as I can remember,” Hu said. “Benfold looks like it is catching up to a schedule.”
Voyages by US warships near disputed islands in the South China Sea were relatively infrequent, Hu said.
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