--- description: The U.S. Navy sailed a destroyer near disputed islands in the South China Sea in the latest sign of escalating U.S.-China tensions title: U.S. Warship Sails Near South China Sea Reef Amid Tensions image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b13579c158edc56/69893b83fb4eac19d9897c87/gettyimages-956324372.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [South China Sea](/tag/south-china-sea/) ## South China Sea Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # U.S. Navy Sails Near Disputed Islands Amid Escalating Tensions With China by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 1, 2018 8:02 AM CUT  A US assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) takes part in an annual U.S.-Philippines joint military exercise in San Antonio, Philippines on May 9, 2018. A US assault amphibious vehicle (AAV) takes part in an annual U.S.-Philippines joint military exercise in San Antonio, Philippines on May 9, 2018.Ted Aljibe—AFP/Getty Images by [Eli Meixler](/author/eli/) ## Eli Meixler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 1, 2018 8:02 AM CUT The U.S. Navy [sailed](https://edition.cnn.com/2018/09/30/politics/us-sails-south-china-sea/index.html "undefined") alongside a group of disputed islands in the South China Sea on Sunday in the latest sign of escalating tensions with China. The USS Decatur guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of two [Spratly Island](http://world.time.com/2012/08/20/turf-wars-a-guide-to-east-asias-troubled-waters/slide/the-spratly-islands/ "undefined") reefs on “freedom of navigation operations” on Sunday, two American officials told CNN. China has [built military installations](http://time.com/4701750/south-china-sea-paracel-islands/ "undefined") on the strategically located Spratly archipelago, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan. The “freedom of navigation missions” are designed to challenge “excessive maritime claims,” an American military official told CNN. “The United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” the official added. China [claims dominion](http://time.com/4412191/nine-dash-line-9-south-china-sea/ "undefined") over a number of island groups in the heavily contested South China Sea, and has recently [ramped-up development](http://time.com/4785577/south-china-sea-us-china-control/ "undefined") of artificial islands and military facilities despite international condemnation. In May, the new U.S. Pacific Command chief [warned](https://apnews.com/0eb59434d5794775a7f0c664c60b19bc "undefined") that “China is now capable of controlling the South China Sea in all scenarios short of war.” **Read more**: [_China Has Begun New Work in the Disputed South China Sea_](http://time.com/4701750/south-china-sea-paracel-islands "undefined") But the U.S. has continued to challenge China’s policing of those waters. In May, the U.S. Navy [sailed two ships](http://time.com/5292908/china-warns-navy-warships-south-china-sea/ "undefined") near the Paracel Islands, another contested island group, prompting an outraged response from China’s Ministry of Defense. Earlier this week, the U.S. also flew two B-52 bombers over China-claimed territory. The sail-by on Sunday also comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade and diplomatic issues. Last week, new tariffs targeting [$200 billion of Chinese goods](http://time.com/5398938/200-billion-tariffs-china-trump/ "undefined") came into effect, the latest salvo in President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war with China. Trump also accused [China of interfering](http://time.com/5406870/donald-trump-china-election-meddling/ "undefined") with the upcoming U.S. 2018 midterm elections at the U.N. Security Council. **Read more**: [_Aboard the USS Carl Vinson in the South China Sea_](http://time.com/5168072/uss-carl-vinson-south-china-sea/ "undefined") Those tensions appear to be spilling over into military cooperation. China [canceled](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/30/world/asia/china-us-security-mattis.html "undefined") a high-profile Beijing security summit later this month, and prevented a U.S. Navy ship from docking in Hong Kong, the New York _Times_ reports. Last week, the Trump administration also announced a $330 million weapons sale to Taiwan, and imposed sanctions on a Chinese defense contractor that bought Russian-made weapons. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5411238/u-s-navy-decatur-south-china-sea/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5411238/u-s-navy-decatur-south-china-sea/"},"headline":"U.S. Navy Sails Near Disputed Islands Amid Escalating Tensions With China","datePublished":"2018-10-01T08:02:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:35:42.392Z","description":"The sail-by comes as China also canceled an upcoming, high-level security summit","url":"https://time.com/5411238/u-s-navy-decatur-south-china-sea/","keywords":["South China Sea","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b13579c158edc56/69893b83fb4eac19d9897c87/gettyimages-956324372.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eli Meixler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eli/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b13579c158edc56/69893b83fb4eac19d9897c87/gettyimages-956324372.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"PHILIPPINES-US-CHINA-MARITIME","caption":"PHILIPPINES-US-CHINA-MARITIME","creditText":"Ted Aljibe—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/south-china-sea/","name":"South China Sea"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5411238/u-s-navy-decatur-south-china-sea/","name":"U.S. Navy Sails Near Disputed Islands Amid Escalating Tensions With China"}}]}] ```