Photo: ReutersBangkok: A United States aircraft carrier strike group has begun patrols in the South China Sea amid growing tension with China over control of the disputed waterway and concerns it could become a flashpoint under the new US administration. China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday warned Washington against challenging its sovereignty in the South China Sea. The US navy said the force, including Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, began routine operations in the South China Sea on Saturday. China wrapped up its own naval exercises in the South China Sea on Friday. China lays claim to almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year.

Source: Mint February 19, 2017 07:50 UTC