Washington, DC — A US aircraft carrier strike group is patrolling in the South China Sea, the US Navy said Saturday, days after Beijing told Washington not to challenge its sovereignty in the waterway. China asserts ownership of almost all of the resource-rich waters despite rival claims from several Southeast Asian countries. The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier group was engaging in “routine operations in the South China Sea,” the navy said in a statement on its website. “We also urge the US to refrain from challenging China’s sovereignty and security and to respect regional countries’ efforts to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he said. The Vinson has deployed to the South China Sea 16 times in its 35-year history, the US Navy said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer February 19, 2017 18:00 UTC