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WW3 Drum Beat: U.S. Plans 3rd Patrol of South China Sea Islands

Some believe that China’s dispute with America’s allies in The South China Sea may be the cause of the next world war. Now, the U.S. Navy has announced plans to patrol the disputed islands in the South China Sea in April. This mission comes after China has repeatedly told the United States to stay away from its international affairs. According to The New York Times: The exact timing of the exercise and which ship would travel inside a 12-nautical mile limit around a disputed island was not immediately clear. The United States has conducted what it calls “freedom of navigation” exercises in recent months, sailing near disputed islands to underscore its rights to navigate the seas. U.S. Navy officials have said they plan to conduct more and increasingly complex exercises in the future. The U.S.S. Stennis carrier strike group is currently operating in the South China Sea. The next freedom of navigation exercise is unlikely to be conducted by a carrier like the Stennis, but rather by a smaller ship, the source said. Experts predict the next U.S. challenge to the various claims in the South China Sea could occur near Mischief Reef, a feature claimed by the Philippines and which [...]