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Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Saturday, August 12, 2017
US Navy destroyer conducts operation at South China Sea
The guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain approaches the Kitty Hawk during a replenishment at sea. Source: Wikipedia Commons
The guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain approaches the Kitty Hawk during a replenishment at sea. Source: Wikipedia Commons
11th August 2017
A UNITED STATES naval vessel passed through the South China Sea within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese artificial island on Thursday, in a move likely to agitate Beijing.
A UNITED STATES naval vessel passed through the South China Sea within 12 nautical miles of a Chinese artificial island on Thursday, in a move likely to agitate Beijing.
Anonymous US officials told Reuters the destroyer, USS John S. McCain, sailed close to the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, where China has a territorial dispute with its neighbours.
It was the third Freedom of Navigation Operation conducted during
Trump’s presidency. Neither China’s Defence Ministry nor its Foreign
Ministry immediately responded to a request for comment from Reuters.
People
in Tokyo, Japan, walk in front of a monitor showing news of North
Korea’s fresh threat on Aug 10, 2017. Source: Reuters/Toru Hanai
The operation was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as
Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters
and comes as Trump is seeking China’s cooperation to rein in North
Korea.
Tensions have risen recently after North Korea carried out two nuclear
tests last year and two ICBM tests last month, prompting a strong round
of United Nations sanctions which angered Pyongyang who threatened to
teach the US a “severe lesson.”
Trump, in turn, responded by warning North Korea it would face “fire and fury” if it further threatened the US.
US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a stark warning to North Korea on
Wednesday, telling Pyongyang it should stop any actions that would lead
to the “end of its regime and the destruction of its people.”
See the extent of China's construction in the South China Sea's Spratly Islands over the past year: amti.csis.org/chinas-sam-she…
10:47 AM - 23 Feb 2017
The US has criticised China’s construction of islands and build-up of
military facilities in the sea, and is concerned they could be used to
restrict free nautical movement.
The US military has a long-standing position that its operations are
carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies,
and they are separate from political considerations.
The Trump administration has vowed to conduct more robust South China Sea operations.
In July, a US warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan, Vietnam.
Experts and officials have criticised President Barack Obama for
potentially reinforcing China’s claims by sticking to innocent passage,
in which a warship effectively recognised a territorial sea by crossing
it speedily without stopping.
China’s claims in the South China Sea, through which about US$5 trillion
in ship-borne trade passes each year, are contested by Brunei,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
Additional reporting by Reuters