The US Navy on Tuesday dismissed Beijing’s protests over a “freedom of navigation operation” conducted near a Chinese-held island in the South China Sea, in the latest incident drawing new attention to one of the world’s potential military flashpoints. The Navy said its guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville on Tuesday “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law.” China called the action illegal and said it mobilized naval and air assets to issue warnings and drive off the ship, a characterization the Navy and Pentagon disputed.

US dismisses China's protests over South China Sea mission. (2022, December 1). BusinessMirror, p. A6.