A United States Navy guided-missile destroyer cruised near a Chinese man-made military outpost in the West Philippine Sea on Monday, drawing condemnation from China, which described the warship’s entry into the waters as an “illegal” intrusion. The USS Milius conducted a freedom of navigation operation within 12 nautical miles or 22 kilometers of Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, a Chinese military base located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and “upheld the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea,” according to the US Navy’s 7th Fleet.

Mangosing, F. (2023, April 11). US warship cruises near Sino outpost in West PH Sea. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A1, A2.