A U.S. warship sailed Sunday near two contested Chinese man-made islands in the South China Sea, the location where Beijing has built up military fortifications despite a pledge not to do so, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. The “guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea to uphold the rights and freedoms of all states under international law. CHINA SAYS CARRIER GROUP REACHES 'INITIAL' COMBAT CAPABILITYLast week, China announced it would not allow a large U.S. warship to visit Hong Kong next month. On Wednesday, the U.S. Air Force flew nuclear-capable bombers near China in the East China Sea, which Beijing called “provocative” despite flying in international airspace. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS SURROUNDING THE SOUTH CHINA SEAAt the United Nations last week, President Trump accused China of meddling in the upcoming midterm elections in November.

Source: Fox News September 30, 2018 12:39 UTC