US officials said the action of the USS Decatur as Washington's latest action against China that restrict the right to freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway. Patrols took place near the Paracel Islands.
Patrols of the USS Decatur was first reported by Reuters on Saturday (10/22/2016). Destroyer warship was intentionally patrolling near waters claimed by China, but not beyond the territorial limits of 12 nautical miles from the islands claimed by China.
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The Pentagon said the USS Decatur perform routine transit without escort vessels and without incident.
The White House has confirmed that US warships patrol. "This operation shows that coastal states may not legitimately limit the right of navigation, freedom and the legitimate use of the sea, that the US and all countries have the right to exercise under international law," said White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, said in a conference peers.
US warships patrol the latest the fourth opposition to Washington over Chinese maritime claims exaggerated by the South China Sea last year.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government angry and protest US warship patrols. China's Defense Ministry called the US warships patrol it as illegal and provocative.
In a statement on its website, the ministry said the two warships, China has warned US warships patrol to leave the location. China's military has vowed to increase air and sea patrols as needed.
Two Chinese ships were deployed to warn US warships in order to flee from the location of the patrol is the battleship Guangzhou and Luoyang.
"This is a serious illegal behavior and intentionally provocative behavior. China's Defense Ministry firmly opposed to this and has submitted a statement (protest) seriously on the US side, "Chinese Defense Ministry statement said.
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