Beijing strongly condemned Washington on Thursday over a US Navy warship sailing close to the Nansha Islands without permission, and warned that such action could damage the peace and stability of the South China Sea.
Experts said that the move shows the United States military wants to remain a presence in the region for both its domestic and international goals.
The USS Dewey, a guided missile destroyer, sailed less than 12 nautical miles from the Meiji Reef of the Nansha Islands early Thursday, the first such case under the administration of US President Donald Trump, US media reported, citing US military officials.
