US and Canadian navies on Saturday were conducting a joint exercise in the strait, which separates the island of Taiwan and China when the Chinese ship cut in front of the US guided-missile destroyer Chung-Hoon forcing it to slow down to avoid a collision
The US Navy said its guided-missile destroyer USS Milius conducted a navigational rights and freedoms mission in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands on Monday.
Tension has been rising in the South China Sea as a US Navy destroyer sailed around the contested archipelago of Spratly Islands, much to the chagrin of China. Reportedly, US Navy has dubbed its exercise, the second within a week, 'freedom of navigation'.
The US Navy remarked in its statement, "On July 16, USS Benfold (DDG 65) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, consistent with international law."
A USdestroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing, which said its military had "driven away" the ship after it illegally entering territorial waters.