The official said the mission now has the approval of President Barack Obama.
The ship could make the pass as soon as Monday night, barring any unforeseen circumstances, a U.S. military source told CNN. There will be air cover as well as reconnaissance in the air, flying in international airspace, the source said. The aircraft will watch the ship and be there, if needed, to record and deal with any problems. The Chinese have not been informed, the source said, adding that no trouble is expected.
The South China Sea is the subject of numerous rival -- often messy -- territorial claims, with China, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam disputing sovereignty of several island chains and nearby waters.In June, China had said that island building in the South China Sea was "almost complete," although it did say that it would continue to build facilities on the islands it has already created.
China has repeatedly said its activity in the South China Sea does not target any other country or affect freedom of navigation by sea or air.Chinese navy ships entered U.S. territorial waters off Alaska earlier this month, coming within 12 miles of the coastline during President Barack Obama's visit to the state, U.S. officials told CNN.The officials emphasized that China's actions were consistent with "innocent passage" under international maritime law.
However, in the South China Sea, the United States has yet to breach the 12-mile limit accorded under maritime law -- even though the U.S. doesn't recognize the islands as Chinese territory, and their man-made nature may disqualify them from having any maritime zone.
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