The U.S. Navy announced Saturday that an aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer were deployed to the South China Sea.
(FOX)- The Navy said the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Wayne E. Meyer were sent to the South China Sea on “routine operations,” despite warnings from Beijing not to challenge its sovereignty.
“China respects and upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea, which countries enjoy under international law, but firmly opposes any country’s attempt to undermine China’s sovereignty and security in the name of the freedom of navigation and overflight,” China’s foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.
The naval ships will likely sail within the 12 nautical miles of China’s artificial islands, the Navy Times reported last week.
U.S. Navy leaders believe that freedom of navigation operations help secure U.S. influence in the region, while China claims the operations are a challenge to claim territory.