The U.S. military will continue patrols in the South China Sea, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said during a visit to a Chinese naval base Wednesday, just over a week after a ruling by an international arbitration panel essentially voided Beijing's South China Sea maritime claims.
Richardson, on a five-day trip "to improve mutual understanding and encourage professional interaction between the two navies," visited China's North Sea Fleet headquarters in Qingdao to meet with fleet commander Vice Adm. Yuan Yubai.
During the meeting, Richardson highlighted the importance of lawful and safe operations in the South China Sea and elsewhere, reiterating the stance by Washington that U.S. forces will continue to sail, fly and operate wherever international law allows.