PARIS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A French nuclear-propelled attack
submarine and warship patrolled in the South China Sea to
underscore freedom of navigation in international waterways, the
Armed Forces Ministry said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, the U.S. navy had said two U.S. carrier
groups conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea, days
after a U.S. warship sailed near Chinese-controlled islands in
the disputed waters. The latest French passage is a sign that U.S. allies are
increasingly asserting freedom of navigation in international
waterways near China.
"This strategy is based in particular on operational
commitments, on a tradition of cooperation with regional states
and on defense diplomacy which contributes in particular to
support multilateralism, international law and the principle of
freedom of navigation," the French Armed Forces ministry said.
China has been infuriated by repeated U.S. sailings near the
islands it occupies and controls in the South China Sea, saying
it has irrefutable sovereignty and accusing the United States of
deliberately stoking tension.
The French Emeraude submarine was supported by a warship as
part of an eight-month mission that also includes passages in
the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said on Twitter it
showed the capacity of the French Navy to operate far away and
in cooperation with its American, Australian and Japanese
allies.