The US Navy's destroyer has sailed to the South China Sea for the first time during Donald Trump's presidency, CNN reports. Destroyer USS Dewey has gone about 20 miles from the Mischief Ridge in the Spratly Island chain as part of a "free navigation operation," a US official said.
China is arming artificial islands
Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis stated that the US Navy operates on a daily basis in this area and does so in accordance with international law as he said, "Let's fly, ship and operate in areas where the international law allows." While China claims to own most of the territory in the South China Sea, many surrounding states dispute this claim, including the Philippines and Vietnam.
The Chinese government builds artificial reefs in the sea and fills them with military equipment and weapons. China argues that US "free navigation operations" are a serious violation of the law.
The United States regularly conducted navigation operations during Barack Obama's mandate, but this is the first time Trump has decided for this kind of move. This move comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping publicly praised the Chinese Navy and said he wanted to build it to be a powerful and modern force.
The Defense Program against the US
China has requested that North Korea not to violate UN Security Council resolutions with its nuclear programs and missiles after Pyongyang successfully tested ballistic missiles of the Middle Range.
The US has sought to persuade China, the North Korean chief ally, to do more to keep North Korea from firing missiles. North Korea plans to develop a nuclear missile capable of hitting the US and ignores calls to stop the weapons program, even those that are coming from its ally.
The North Korean argument is that the program is necessary for the defense against the US aggression.
"We are asking from North Korea not to do anything that would violate UN Security Council resolutions again," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement posted on Tuesday on a Chinese ministry's website. North Korea announced on Monday that the missile firing was conducted on Sunday in accordance with all the technical requirements that would allow mass production of the missile called Pukguksong 2, despite US officials and experts questioning the progress of that program.
South Korea's new liberal government said it endangers hope for peace on the peninsula.
