US Sends Destroyer to South China Sea

Only one day after a US spy plane flew provocatively over the Taiwan Straits while being closely watched by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the US Navy reportedly despatched a vessel to the South China Sea on Saturday (PLA). Chinese experts warned on Sunday that while the US vessel might cause problems in the Taiwan Straits or the South China Sea as well, the PLA would be prepared to respond to any potential aggressions. According to information made public on Sunday by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think group, the USS Benfold destroyer entered the South China Sea on Saturday through the Verde Island Passage in the Philippines. Observers have highlighted that the USS Benfold frequently violates the law in the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea. For instance, the PLA Southern Theater Command ordered naval and air troops to track, monitor, and warn the destroyer away in January 2022 after it entered Chinese territorial waters around the Xisha Is