US warship transits South China Sea to challenge ‘unlawful maritime claims’

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A United States warship sailed through the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea on Thursday after passing through the Taiwan Strait, in defiance of a protest from Beijing. The US Navy’s Seventh Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur had conducted freedom of navigation operations in the vicinity of the Paracels, which are claimed by Beijing, Taiwan and Vietnam. “Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations,” it said in a statement.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. It said Beijing, Taiwan and Vietnam had imposed unlawful restrictions on innocent passage over the disputed waters, and the operation was also aimed at challenging China’s territorial claims. “By conducting this operation, the United States demonstrated that these waters are beyond what China can lawfully claim as its territorial sea, and that China’s claimed straight baselines around the Paracel Islands are inconsistent with international law,” it said. “US forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis, as they have for more than a century. They routinely operate in close coordination with like-minded allies and partners who share our commitment to uphold a free and open international order that promotes security and prosperity.” China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy said the US had violated Chinese maritime sovereignty and it had expelled the vessel. “It has also seriously damaged peace and stability in the South China Sea,” a Southern Theatre Command spokesman said. “The US behaviour violates international law