US warships approach islands in Hoang Sa

The Pentagon deployed a warship near Tri Ton Island, part of Vietnam's Hoang Sa archipelago, which is illegally occupied by China.

Guided missile destroyer Stethem stationed in Japan. Photo: Wikipedia.

Guided missile destroyerStethem entered the 12-nautical mile zone around Triton Island today, Fox News quoted two US defense officials as saying. It was tailed by a Chinese warship.

When asked, Matt Knight, a spokesman for the Pacific Fleet, did not confirm the operation but stated: "We conduct freedom of navigation operations routinely and regularly, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future."

The last time the US sent warships close to Tri Ton Island was last October. The administration of former US President Barack Obama also carried out similar operations.Tri Ton Island is a sandbank in the Paracel Islands, under Vietnam's sovereignty but illegally occupied by China since 1974.

In late May, the US also sent a warship close to Vành Khăn Reef, where China illegally built an artificial island in Vietnam’s Trường Sa archipelago. The destroyer Dewey conducted a “rescue man overboard” exercise when entering the 12-nautical mile area around Vành Khăn Reef.This is the first US freedom of navigation patrol since Mr. Trump took office in January.

After this patrol, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized in May that Vietnam has full historical and legal grounds to assert its sovereignty over the Truong Sa and Hoang Sa archipelagos, in accordance with international law. Vietnam's consistent stance is that all countries enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

According to VNE