US warship sails near reef claimed by China
BEIJING: China yesterday accused the US of trespassing after an American warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, the first such operation by President Donald Trump's administration in the disputed waterway.
The row comes during a period of warming relations between the countries with Mr Trump saying that Washington has dialed down pressure on Beijing over other issues, in hopes of securing cooperation on North Korea.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey entered the area "without permission from the Chinese government", Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters at a regular briefing. The ship had "trespassed in the waters near the relevant islands and reefs" and this "undermines China's sovereignty and security interests". - AFP
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