USS Reagan U.S. Navy aircraft carrier enters the South China Sea South China Sea News

Along with the ship came the USS Shiloh guided missile cruiser and the USS Halsey guided missile destroyer on their “regular mission.”

A group of aircraft carriers led by the USS Ronald Reagan have entered the South China Sea as part of their regular mission, the U.S. Navy said Rising tensions between Washington and Beijing, which claims most of the waterways discussed.

The carrier was accompanied by the USS Shiloh guided missile cruiser and the USS Halsey guided missile destroyer, the U.S. Army said Tuesday.

China frequently clashes with U.S. military missions in the South China Sea, saying they do not help promote peace or stability, and the latest mission was condemned by China for denouncing Beijing on a number of issues.

“While in the South China Sea, the strike team is conducting maritime security operations, with fixed-wing and rotary flights, coordinated sea strike exercises and tactical training between surface and air units,” the U.S. Army said.

“South China Sea operators are part of the U.S. Army’s regular presence in the Indo-Pacific.”

In recent years, China has increased its military presence in the South China Sea, among other things construction of artificial islands and air bases, where he has installed missile systems and other equipment.

The South China Sea has become one of the major points in the strained relations between China and the US, with Washington dismissing what Beijing calls illegal territorial claims in resource-rich waters, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam. Brunei and Malaysia.

In a show of force against the Chinese claims, U.S. warships have crossed the South China Sea with increasing frequency in recent years, demanding freedom of navigation rights.

US military alliances

In a related development, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin said the country will extend a key military pact with the U.S. after negotiations between the two countries.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to advance the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in February last year after Washington suspended the visa of an international ally who led the war on drugs internationally.

Dutert, who has worked closely with China, later backtracked on his decision, saying analysts could undermine the decade-long close military cooperation between Manila and Washington, DC.

This is the third time Duterte has extended the agreement, which provides a legal framework for military exercises with the United States.

“The President conveyed to us the decision to extend the repeal of the visitation force agreement for another six months while he examined it and while both sides addressed their concerns about certain aspects of the agreement,” Locsin said.

A spokesman for foreign affairs said the department is waiting for details on specific areas of concern in Duterte’s office.

Duterte’s decision also comes as China moves forward Incursions into Philippine waters, Angering many in the Philippines.

The Philippines and the U.S. conducted small-scale drills in April following the cancellation of last year’s war games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.