In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, Petty Officer 3rd Class James Benzel, an aviation electronics technician from Louisville, Ohio, assigned to the Saberhawks of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron, signals an MH-60R Sea Hawk to disengage its rotors on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan as USS Mustin steams alongside in South China Sea, Thursday, July 9. AP photo via U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Erica Bechard photo
Ken MoritsuguThe Associated PressThe Trump administration’s rejection of broad Chinese claims to much of the South China Sea came across in Asia as an election-year political move, with some appealing for calm amid fears of greater tensions.China accused the U.S. Tuesday, July 14, of trying to sow discord between China and the Southeast Asian countries with which it has long-standing territorial disputes in waters that are both a vital international shipping lane and home to valuable fisheries.“The United States is not a country directly involved in the disputes. However, it has kept interfering in the issue,” the Chinese Embassy in Washington said on its website. “Under the pretext of preserving stability, it is flexing muscles, stirring up tension and inciting con
