January 30, 2016
“The US isn’t really challenging any Chinese maritime claims, and in fact is helping to support them by conducting an innocent passage, which is allowed within 12 miles of someone else’s territory,” said Bryan Clark, a former top aide to the Chief of Naval Operations. “If the U.S. wanted to challenge China’s and other’s claims, the ship would conduct ‘military operations’ such as running radars or conducting helo ops. It did not do this.”
Read more of the story in Breaking Defense