Fiery Crossing in the South China Sea

Fiery Cross Reef, a contested geographic feature in the South China Sea, is the latest site for the growing maritime tensions between China and the United States.

Early on Tuesday, the U.S.S. William P. Lawrence, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, transited within 12 miles of the reef for what is now the third freedom of navigation operation (FONOPS) carried out by the U.S. Navy since Beijing began construction of artificial islands on several reefs and rocky outcrops in 2014. In response, China scrambled fighter jets and sent naval vessels to monitor the William P. Lawrence’s transit through Beijing’s claimed waters.

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member.

Subscriber+

Categorized as:InternationalTagged with:

Related Articles

How Safe Would We Be Without Section 702?

SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — A provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that has generated controversy around fears of the potential for abuse has proven to be crucial […] More

Search

Close