US sends two warships to the East Sea
Reuters news agency quoted two US officials as saying that two US Navy warships are currently present near Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago.
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| Destroyer USS Higgins. Photo: US Navy |
Two unnamed US officials said the destroyer USS Higgins and the cruiser USS Antietam passed through waters within 12 nautical miles around some islands in Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago.
Critics say the exercise is a demonstration of “freedom of navigation” that has little impact on China’s behavior and is largely symbolic.
The activities of the two US warships took place in the context of recent disputes between the US and China surrounding the East Sea issue.
On May 23, the Pentagon canceled its invitation to China to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise next June, due to China's continuous militarization activities in the East Sea.
China's Air Force announced on May 18 that it had sent its bombers to an island in the East Sea for the first time.
On May 21, responding to a reporter's question about China's use of bombers to conduct exercises on Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed: "Vietnam demands that China immediately stop the above-mentioned actions, not conduct militarization, seriously respect Vietnam's sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, strictly comply with the Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of maritime issues between Vietnam and China, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea between ASEAN and China (DOC), creating a favorable atmosphere for maintaining a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment in the region."