A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer sailed via a disputed space of the South China Sea on Monday, pushing again in opposition to territorial claims by China amid rising bilateral tensions, the Seventh Fleet mentioned in an announcement.

The destroyer USS Milius sailed close to Mischief Reef, a part of the Spratly Islands the place China has constructed up a number of navy bases and deployed missiles lately.

The warship made the “freedom of navigation operation” (FONOP) inside 12 nautical miles of the reef after which continued operations close by, Seventh Fleet spokesman Lt. Luka Bakic mentioned, in a symbolic demonstration to uphold “the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea.”

The USS Milius, he added, “demonstrated that Mischief Reef, a low-tide elevation in its natural state, is not entitled to a territorial sea under international law.”

A Chinese navy spokesman mentioned the Milius “illegally trespassed” with out Chinese authorities approval. Chinese navy plane and warships tracked and monitored the Milius, mentioned a spokesman for the PLA southern theater command.

“China has indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters,” the spokesman mentioned. “The troops of the PLA southern theater command will always stay on high alert and resolutely safeguard China‘s national sovereignty and security, as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea.”

China‘s People’s Liberation Army mentioned in an announcement the three-day workout routines show Beijing is ready to do what it takes to again up China‘s claims to sovereignty over Taiwan.

“The theater’s troops are ready to fight at all times and can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of ‘Taiwan independence’ and foreign interference attempts,” the Chinese navy assertion mentioned Monday.

The Navy claims {that a} submerged reef at excessive tide isn't acknowledged aa s maritime sovereign territory. China‘s land-reclamation efforts, installations and buildings on Mischief Reef “do not change this characterization under international law,” Lt. Bakic mentioned. Satellite pictures of Mischief Reef have proven whaappearrs to be cruise missile deployments in addition to a protracted runway.

The newest FONOP got here simply as Chinese navy forces ended large-scale wargames north of the ocean close to Taiwan, workout routines that state media mentioned simulated multi-directional Chinese navy assaults on the island democracy and mirrored Beijing’s anger over final week’s assembly between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in California. Taiwan‘s Defense Ministry, which monitored the Chinese workout routines, mentioned a complete of 232 Chinese navy plane and 32 navy vessels have been detected close to Taiwan between Saturday and the tip of the workout routines on Monday.

During this era, 134 navy plane crossed the median line down the 100-mile-wide Taiwan Strait.

China has restricted contacts with U.S. navy counterparts as tensions have ramped up over Taiwan and different points. A Pentagon spokesman mentioned China continued to reject talks with senior U.S. protection and navy leaders.

“While we will continue to maintain open channels of communication with the PRC, the PRC continues to decline requests for engagement with the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff,” Pentagon spokesman Chris Meagher informed reporters Monday. “Lines between our militaries are particularly important in scenarios like this, and we call on Beijing to engage us in this channel.”

U.S. protection officers have mentioned the planes crossing the media line have been violating the delicate establishment between China and Taiwan that has saved the peace between the 2 rivals since Nationalist forces fled the mainland to Taiwan throughout a civil conflict in 1949.

Chinese state media described the workout routines as “encirclement combat alert patrols” by PLA forces of the Eastern Theater Command, workout routines that “pressured the island from all four directions” utilizing an plane provider, long-range rockets, warships and fighter jets and standard missiles.

It was the second time the Chinese navy carried out aggressive workout routines close to Taiwan in response to a gathering with a senior House chief. In August 2022, the Chinese carried out the biggest navy workout routines in a long time round Taiwan after then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and met with Mrs. Tsai.

The Chinese workout routines throughout the weekend practiced seizing management of sea, air and knowledge domains utilizing joint forces. Video posted on Chinese state media confirmed a graphic with the places of medium- and short-range missile firings from China that landed in areas round Taiwan.

Actual rocket and missile launches additionally have been proven in movies of the workout routines.

The Chinese Communist Party-affiliated outlet Global Times acknowledged that the plane provider strike group led by the provider Shandong and its jets “practiced assaults on fleeing hostile vessels and a maritime blockade while other forces conducted blockade and joint strike drills.”

Chinese items additionally practiced digital warfare operations, together with suppression of radar and anti-missile defenses on Taiwan.

• Ben Wolfgang contributed to this report.

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