The U.S. Navy plans to conduct another passage near disputed islands in the South China Sea early this month, a source familiar with the plan said Friday, the third in series of challenges that have drawn sharps rebukes from China.
The exact timing of the exercise and which ship would travel inside a 12-nautical mile (22-km) limit around a disputed island was not immediately clear.
The United States has conducted what it calls "freedom of navigation" exercises in recent months, sailing near disputed islands to underscore its rights to navigate the seas. U.S. Navy officials have said they plan to conduct more and increasingly complex exercises in the future.