US Navy to send destroyer within 12 miles of Chinese islands

Reuters

9 years ago

An aerial photo taken though a glass window of a Philippine military plane shows the alleged on-going land reclamation by China on mischief reef in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, in this May 11, 2015 file photo. (Ritchie B. Tongo/Reuters)

The alleged on-going land reclamation of China at Subi reef is seen from Pagasa island (Thitu Island) in the Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea, west of Palawan, Philippines, in this May 11, 2015 file photo. (Ritchie B. Tongo/Reuters)

The U.S. Navy plans to send the USS Lassen destroyer within 12 nautical miles of artificial islands built by China in the South China Sea within 24 hours, a U.S.defense official said on Monday, the first of more regular challenges to China‘s territorial claims.

The destroyer‘s patrol would go near Subi and Mischief reefs in the Spratly archipelago, features that were formerly submerged at high tide before China began a massive dredging project to turn them into islands in 2014.

The ship would likely be accompanied by a P-8A surveillance plane, the official said.