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| Image: Flickr User - Official U.S. Navy Page |
By Shannon Tiezzi
Two reports say the long-awaited freedom of navigation operations may commence in the next weeks or even days.
U.S. military officials are signaling that the navy is poised to send a ship within 12 nautical miles of China’s artificial islands. Both the Navy Times and the Financial Times reported that the operation was imminent, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
Financial Times’ source said that the freedom of navigation operations was expected to start within two weeks. Navy Times’ sources indicated that the operation “could take place within days but awaits final approval from the Obama administration.” The Navy officials said they believed that approval was coming soon.
Despite some genuine progress made in other areas during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the U.S. in late September, there was little consensus on the South China Sea issue. And since Xi returned to China, U.S. officials have only ramped up their rhetoric on the question of freedom of navigation in the disputed areas.
Read the full story at The Diplomat