Multiple “Western and Asian” officials told Reuters in a report published Sunday that the United States is seeking to expand its Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in the South China Sea to respond to growing belligerence from China.
The United States is reportedly looking to increase the number of its naval patrols in the South China Sea to challenge China’s growing militarization of the disputed waterway. In defiance of international law, China has claimed most of the South China Sea, including territory belonging to Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.-- More...