On Tuesday morning, the naval destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhubi Reef in the South China Sea without notifying the Chinese government.
This has raised strong oppositions from the Chinese side, as sailing within 12 nautical miles of a territory held by a different country is viewed internationally as a violation of territorial sovereignty.
The US Defense Department claims the ship was conducting routine operations in line with the international law.
Chinese naval expert Yin Zhuo says the US side is in the wrong.
"The right of "innocent passage" insisted by the US sounds plausible, but it has not re
