Tension as US warship sails by China's disputed islands
Beijing warns Washington not to repeat 'illegal provocation'

A US Navy ship has sailed close to artificial islands built by China in disputed waters, US defence officials have said.
In a move that is bound to inflame tensions between the two superpowers, the guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen breached the 12-nautical mile zone China claims around Subi and Mischief reefs in the Spratly archipelago.
The foreign ministry in Beijing has condemned the operation as "illegal" and a "threat to China's sovereignty," and has vowed to "resolutely respond to any country's deliberately provocative actions".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After confirming that the ship had sailed within the disputed area, a US defence official said this was just the first in a series of freedom-of-navigation exercises aimed at testing Beijing's territorial claims.
"This is something that will be a regular occurrence, not a one-off event," said a US official. "It's not something that's unique to China."
Washington had earlier vowed to challenge the "12-nautical-mile territorial limits that China claims around artificial islands it has built", according to Reuters.
China claims it owns the waters in some of the world's busiest sea lanes, but this claim is challenged by other nations. The Subi and Mischief reefs in the South China Sea have both been turned into man-made islands by a massive Chinese dredging and construction operation.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Chinese authorities said last month they would "never allow any country to violate its territorial waters and airspace in the Spratlys".
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raids
In the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?
Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classrooms
Pros and cons The devices could be major distractions
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month