US Navy aircraft carrier conducts exercises in South China Sea; Beijing miffed

A United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Regan on August 14 conducted exercises in the South China Sea, upsetting China once again as Beijing says the drill undermines its claims in the region. According to a statement issued by the US Navy, a strike group led by the USS Ronald Regan conducted maritime stability operations and flight operation exercises. The latest exercises come amid the growing tensions between Washington and Beijing over various issues, including the US opposing China's expansionist claims in the South China Sea. 

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US opposes China's claim

The United States has long opposed China's claims in the South China Sea and has often sided with its allies in the region by providing them moral and strategic support. China claims nine-tenths of the South China Sea that sees some $3 trillion worth of goods pass through it every year, which accounts for a third of global maritime trade. Other countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, and Taiwan accuse China of expanding its claims by building artificial islands in the region. 

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The latest naval drill comes in the backdrop of US' operational deployment of the “freedom of navigation” mission in the disputed South China Sea, led by the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan. Last month, the United States stationed two of its aircraft carriers to the South China Sea to carry out military drills in response to China's aggression in the disputed waters. The US Navy on its official websites says The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is the Navy's only forward-deployed strike group and one of America's most visible symbols of resolve. 

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