News Snapshot:
The U.S. Navy said its destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) conducted Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, rejecting China’s claim that the ship trespassed into its territorial waters. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) alleged that the USS Benfold “illegally entered the Chinese territorial waters” of Xisha Islands without authorization from the Chinese government. The military said it then tracked, monitored and warned the U.S. warship away. “The U.S. move severely violated China's sovereignty and security, and is yet another solid proof of the U.S.' navigational hegemony...
