A United States warship on Saturday sailed near a disputed area in the South China Sea, the second “freedom of navigation operation” meant to challenge “excessive maritime claims” in the region since Wednesday. According to the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65) merely “asserted navigational rights and freedoms” in the Spratly Islands, a major archipelago composed of more than 100 islands and reefs. There was no immediate comment from Chinese officials on the latest sailing.

Mangosing, F. (2022, July 18). US warship challenges Beijing's claims in Spratlys. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.