US Ship Sails in South China Sea by China-Claimed Islands

An aerial view of uninhabited island of Spratlys in the disputed South China Sea, on April 21, 2017. Erik De Castro/Reuters

A U.S. Navy warship sailed by islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Wednesday in a freedom of navigation operation, marking the latest move by Washington to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in the contested waters.

The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said destroyer USS Russell “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law.”