The US Navy has twice sailed warships in a similar effort to challenge Chinese claims to the Paracel and Spratly islands in the last month and carrying out another such operation near the Paracels in March.
The increased operational tempo comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing on a range of issues including the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to exert greater control over Hong Kong and responsibility for the coronavirus.
"On May 28 (local time), USS Mustin (DDG 89) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law," Lt. Anthony Junco, a spokesperson for the US Navy's 7th Fleet, said in a statement.
"By conducting this operation, the United States demonstrated that these waters are beyond what China can lawfully claim as its territorial sea," the statement added.
The Pentagon recently revealed that a Chinese vessel on April 14 conducted "unsafe and unprofessional maneuvers" near the Mustin "which was conducting normal operations in international waters" at the time of the incident, according to Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn.
The Paracel Islands are claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan, and the US has long said Beijing has militarized the islands in the South China Sea via the deployment of military hardware and construction of military facilities.
The US military has recently accused China of seeking to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to gain military and economic advantages in the region.
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May 28, 2020 at 06:44PM
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US warship again challenges China's South China Sea claims - CNN
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