The U.S. Navy will likely carry out another patrol within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of artificial islands in the South China Sea before the end of the year, a U.S. Navy official said Friday.
The USS Lassen, a guided missile destroyer, last month sailed close to one of China's man-made islands in the Spratly Islands archipelago to underscore its rights under international law, drawing an angry rebuke from Beijing.
A U.S. defense official said this month the navy planned two or more patrols a quarter in the region as part of its plan to regularly exercise its rights under international law and remind China and others about its view.