U.S. Navy conducted operation in Japan-claimed waters in Dec.

The U.S. Navy conducted in December a so-called freedom of navigation operation in southwestern Japan waters, in a move that disagrees with Tokyo's claims of sovereignty.According to the U.S. 7th Fleet, the Dec. 15 operation involved the navy's Alan Shepard supply vessel sailing in the vicinity of the Tsushima Strait between Kyushu, one of Japan's main islands, and South Korea. Its shipboard helicopter also flew.The move is seen as emphasizing the U.S. stance to abide by the international rules-based order in a veiled alert to China, which has become increasingly assertive in the East and S…READ FULL ARTICLE