The USS John McCain sailed past the Mischief Reef and the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea despite repeated warnings from a nearby Chinese frigate.
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China told a US Navy destroyer 10 times to leave the South China Sea but it didn't back down
The Chinese frigate "called and said ‘Please turn around, you are in our waters,... We told them we are a US [ship] conducting routine operations.”
The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain sails in formation during exercise Foal Eagle 2013 in waters west of the Korean peninsula in this March 21, 2013 handout photo courtesy of the U.S. Navy.
The destroyer passed within 12 nautical miles of both land features, according to Reuters, in a "freedom of navigation operation" or FONOP, whereby the US shows China it doesn't respect its maritime claims in the South China Sea.
The US carries out freedom of navigation operations all over the world, but only China during its massive land grab of artificial islands in territory claimed by six other nations, vocally protests.
Under former President Obama, the US suspended FONOPs in the South China Sea for three years between 2012 and 2015, during which time Beijing made massive strides towards militarizing the area. After the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague ruled against Beijing's claims to the South China Sea, the US resumed FONOPs.
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