Image copyright Reuters Image caption China has built extensively on Mischief Reef and installed military positions

A US warship has sailed close to an artificial island built by China in the South China Sea, the first challenge to Beijing's claim to the waters since President Donald Trump took office.

According to unnamed sources cited by US media, the USS Dewey passed within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef.

China said the US vessel had entered its waters "without permission" and its navy had warned it to leave.

The US insists it can conduct operations in any international waters.

It says it does not take sides in territorial disputes, but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands in the past, calling them "freedom of navigation" operations to ensure access to key shipping and air routes.

It has also repeatedly criticised what it sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by other nations.

Image copyright US Navy Image caption China said the USS Dewey (left) entered the area "without its permission"

Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang condemned the US move.

"The act damaged China's sovereignty and security interests, and could have easily led to an air or sea accident," he told reporters.

"[China] resolutely opposes any country sailing or flying freely that could pose damage to China's sovereignty and security interests. At present, through the joint efforts of China and Asean countries, the South China Sea situation has cooled down.

"The acts of the United States have seriously disrupted the process of dialogue and consultation."

What is Freedom of Navigation?

The US Freedom of Navigation programme challenges "excessive claims" to the world's oceans and airspace.

It was developed to promote international adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In the past years, the US conducted Freedom of Navigation operations against China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

China has been causing alarm in the region by building up South China Sea reefs and islets into artificial islands and installing some military positions.

Both the US and China have accused each other of "militarising" the South China Sea and there are concerns the area is becoming a flashpoint with potentially serious global consequences.

Last year, an international tribunal rejected China's claims to the area, in a case brought by the Philippines.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration said there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or resources within its "nine-dash line".

China rejected the ruling as "ill-founded" and said it would not be bound by it.

The latest US manoeuvre is likely to weigh on US-China relations as the Trump administration is seeking Beijing's co-operation to deal with North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Earlier this month, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a US aircraft which, according to US military officials, was on a mission to detect radiation in international airspace.

China did not comment on that particular incident - it has in the past accused the US of carrying out reconnaissance flights over Chinese coastal waters.

The South China Sea dispute

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption In 2015, the BBC got a view of a new Chinese runway on Mischief Reef

Sovereignty over two largely uninhabited island chains, the Paracels and the Spratlys, is disputed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia

China claims the largest portion of territory, saying its rights go back centuries - in 1947 it issued a map detailing its claims

The area is a major shipping route, and a rich fishing ground, and is thought to have abundant oil and gas reserves</s>The destroyer USS Dewey shown here during a supply replenishment on May 19 in the South China Sea, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef, a China-occupied territory, as part of the first freedom-of-navigation operation undertaken under the Trump administration.

A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near a disputed South China Sea island controlled by China, the first such operation since Donald Trump became president, according to a CNN report.

The destroyer USS Dewey conducted a freedom-of-navigation operation on Wednesday within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef, which is part of the Spratly Island chain, CNN said, citing an unnamed U.S. official.

The ship has been patrolling the South China Sea since at least May 5, according to photos posted on the Navy’s official website.

China asserts a territorial claim around Mischief Reef and all of the Spratly Islands, despite competing claims from several neighboring countries.

Although islands generate a 12-nautical mile territorial water zone, most international maritime law experts consider Mischief Reef a low-tide elevation with artificial construction, which would generate at most a 500-meter safety zone.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Jamie Davis declined to confirm the operation, saying in a written statement that operational summaries will be released publicly in a report “and not sooner.”

“We are continuing regular FONOPS, as we have routinely done in the past and will continue to do in the future,” Davis wrote, adding that in fiscal year 2016 the U.S. conducted freedom of navigation operations “challenging excessive maritime claims of 22 coastal states, including allies and partners.”

The last freedom-of-navigation operation in the South China Sea took place in October, when the destroyer USS Decatur sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands.

This story will be updated.</s>Image copyright REUTERSImage caption China has built extensively on Mischief Reef and installed military positionsA US warship has sailed close to an artificial island built by China in the South China Sea, the first challenge to Beijing's claim to the waters since President Donald Trump took office.According to unnamed sources cited by US media, the USS Dewey passed within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef.China said the US vessel had entered its waters "without permission" and its navy had warned it to leave.The US insists it can conduct operations in any international waters.It says it does not take sides in territorial disputes, but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands in the past, calling them "freedom of navigation" operations to ensure access to key shipping and air routes.It has also repeatedly criticised what it sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters.China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by other nations.</s>District of Columbia: A US Navy ship has sailed in disputed South China Sea waters near a reef claimed by Beijing, a US official said.

The USS Dewey sailed "less than 12 nautical miles" from Mischief Reef, part of the the Spratly Islands, in a "freedom of navigation operation," the official said.

It is Washington`s first such exercise under the administration of Donald Trump.</s>A US warship has sailed close to an artificial island built by China in the South China Sea, the first challenge to Beijing's claim to the waters since President Donald Trump took office.

According to unnamed sources cited by US media, the USS Dewey passed within 12 nautical miles of Mischief Reef.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, including reefs and islands also claimed by other nations.

The US insists it can conduct operations in any international waters.

It says it does not take sides in territorial disputes, but has sent military ships and planes near disputed islands in the past, calling them "freedom of navigation" operations to ensure access to key shipping and air routes.

It has also repeatedly criticised what it sees as Beijing's efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters.

What is Freedom of Navigation?
• The US Freedom of Navigation programme challenges "excessive claims" to the world's oceans and airspace.
• It was developed to promote international adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• In the past years, the US conducted Freedom of Navigation operations against China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

China has been causing alarm in the region by building up South China Sea reefs and islets into artificial islands and installing some military positions.
• Why is the South China Sea contentious?
• What do 'hangars' in the South China Sea tell us?

Both the US and China have accused each other of "militarising" the South China Sea and there are concerns the area is becoming a flashpoint with potentially serious global consequences.

The latest US manoeuvre is likely to weigh on US-China relations as the Trump administration is seeking Beijing's co-operation to deal with North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Earlier this month, Chinese fighter jets intercepted a US aircraft which according US military officials was on a mission to detect radiation in international airspace.

China did not comment on that particular incident - it has in past accused the US of carrying out reconnaissance flights over Chinese coastal waters.
• Sovereignty over two largely uninhabited island chains, the Paracels and the Spratlys, is disputed by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia.
• China claims the largest portion of territory, saying its rights go back centuries - in 1947 it issued a map detailing its claims.
• The area is a major shipping route, and a rich fishing ground, and is thought to have abundant oil and gas reserves.
• The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea typically gives states an exclusive economic zone up to 200 nautical miles from their coastline - this would leave most of the Spratly Islands in the territorial waters of the Philippines and Malaysia.</s>A U.S. Navy destroyer carried out a "freedom of navigation operation" on Wednesday within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials said, the first such action under President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON: A U.S. Navy destroyer carried out a "freedom of navigation operation" on Wednesday within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials said, the first such action under President Donald Trump.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the USS Dewey was travelling close to Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, in a challenge to China's territorial claims.</s>A US navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China, US officials have said, the first such challenge to Beijing under the Trump administration.



The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the USS Dewey was sailing close to the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, among a string islets, reefs and shoals over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbours.

The so-called “freedom of navigation operation” comes at a time when president Donald Trump is seeking China’s cooperation to rein in North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

The move, the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, is likely to anger China.

Under the previous administration, the US navy conducted such voyages through the South China Sea. The last such operation was carried out in October, approved by then-president Barack Obama.

China’s extensive claims to the South China Sea, which sees about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade pass every year, are challenged by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as well as Taiwan.</s>WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. Navy destroyer carried out a "freedom of navigation operation" on Wednesday within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials said, the first such action under President Donald Trump.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the USS Dewey was traveling close to Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, in a challenge to China's territorial claims. (Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Peter Cooney)</s>BEIJING: China on Thursday accused the US of trespassing after an American warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, the first such operation by President Donald Trump’s administration in the disputed waterway.

 The row comes during a period of warming relations between the countries with President Donald Trump saying that Washington has dialed down pressure on Beijing over other issues in hopes of encouraging their cooperation on North Korea.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey entered the area “without permission from the Chinese government,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters at a regular press briefing, adding that the ship had “trespassed in the waters near the relevant islands and reefs.”

“The relevant action taken by the US vessel undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests, and is very likely to cause unexpected sea and air accidents,” he said, urging Washington to stop “provocative actions.”

The USS Dewey sailed less than 12 nautical miles from Mischief Reef — part of the Spratly Islands — on Thursday, a US official said earlier, the first freedom of navigation operation under Trump. The UN says nations can establish the breadth of their territorial sea up to a limit of 12 nautical miles.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counter-claims from Taiwan and several southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

It has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The US has challenged annexations of these islets and advocated for a diplomatic settlement to the disputes.

 Speaking earlier in the day, Pentagon spokesman, Major Jamie Davis, said US forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis and will fly and sail “wherever international law” allows.

“We have a comprehensive Freedom of Navigation Operations program that seeks to challenge excessive maritime claims in order to preserve the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law,” Davis said.

The exercises are “not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements,” he added.

 Relations between Washington and Beijing had warmed in recent months, with Trump trading his once fierce rhetoric about the country for glowing compliments.

Since meeting with President Xi Jinping in April, Trump, who once accused China of “raping” the US, has praised its leader as a “good man,” saying it would be inappropriate to pressure Beijing while Washington is seeking its help with North Korea.

Thursday’s operation may be an indication that Trump’s patience is wearing thin.</s>A US warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea on Thursday, a US official said, the first such operation by US President Donald Trump's administration in the disputed waterway.

The USS Dewey sailed "less than 12 nautical miles" from Mischief Reef - part of the Spratly Islands - early Thursday morning local time, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The guided-missile destroyer's "freedom of navigation operation" is likely to provoke anger from Beijing as the Trump administration attempts to draw support from China on reining in North Korea.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counter-claims from Taiwan and several southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

It has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.
The USS Dewey sails within 12 nautical miles of the disputed Mischief Reef in the South China Sea.