Defense

Navy destroyer sails near island claimed by China, Vietnam, Taiwan

by Rebecca Savransky - 07/02/17 8:49 AM ET

A U.S. Navy destroyer reportedly sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea.

A U.S. military official told CNN the destroyer sailed within 12 miles of the island, which is claimed by China, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The Navy was conducting a “freedom of navigation exercise” around Triton Island in the Paracel archipelago, according to the network.

{mosads}China claimed the destroyer went into territorial waters, CNN reported.

The network also noted that the top U.S. commander in the Pacific, Adm. Harry Harris, said last Wednesday that “fake islands should not be believed by real people.”

“I believe the Chinese are building up combat power and positional advantage in an attempt to assert de facto sovereignty over disputed maritime features and spaces in the South China,” Harris added.

Last week, the Treasury Department sanctioned a Chinese bank and a handful of Chinese citizens accused of helping North Korea access international financial systems to help fund their nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

“We are in no way targeting China with these actions,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters. “This is about North Korea and how serious we are taking this.”

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