US Destroyer Sails in South China Sea

The United States Navy sailed a destroyer ship past China-controlled islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday. Washington D.C. has claimed that this route was an assertion of freedom of navigation.

Missile destroyer USS Benfold sailed past the Paracel Islands before continuing on with its patrol. The United States Navy considers these actions to be vital in order to maintain their presence in the Indo-Pacific.

The Chinese military was tracking USS Benfold’s movements and ordered the vessel to leave the area, however the US Defense Ministry insisted on holding their ground in order to prevent China from claiming the entire sea and preventing others from using the waterways.