On the 10th of May, a warship belonging to the naval forces of the USA navigated near a disputed reef in the South China Sea in order to “challenge the excessive maritime claims” of Beijing to the sea. This is what the Defense Department spokesman Bill Urban said on Tuesday, Reuters reported.
Mr. Urban stressed that those “excessive maritime claims” didn’t comply with international law in terms of limiting the navigation of other countries, including the USA, in the South China Sea.
According to the US official, China might reclaim and start construction activities on Scarborough Shoal, which includes a 370 km exclusive economic zone.
Besides China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also claim a significant part of the South China Sea.
