US plans more SCS patrols

Move could prompt China to step up military deployment in the disputed waters, analyst says.

US ‘planning more regular’ South China Sea patrols

The Pentagon is planning to conduct more regular patrols in the South China Sea – as many as two to three a month – to assert freedom of navigation in disputed waters claimed by China, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

The report said the aim was to create a more consistent posture to counter China’s maritime claims, rather than a more ad hoc approach favoured during Barack Obama’s administration.

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Source: scmp.com