U.S. conducts "freedom of navigation" operation in South China Sea

A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near the China-claimed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday in a "freedom of navigation" operation, the 7th Fleet said.The operation involving the guided-missile destroyer Curtis Wilbur comes as China has rattled the region in recent years through large-scale island-building and base construction activities in the sea.The Chinese military's Southern Theater Command issued a statement through its spokesperson on the same day condemning the U.S. warship's passage through the islands' vicinity as an intrusion into Chinese territory and a violation of …READ FULL ARTICLE