New U.S.–China friction emerged after a U.S. warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on May 18 and entered the disputed waters of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on May 20. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) condemned the move, and the United States claimed innocent passage. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims the islands as its territory, calling them the Xisha Islands; they are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. The regime called the transit by the guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) “an illegal intrusion,” while the United States accused China of violating international law and expressed its commitment to safeguarding maritime rights and freedoms. The U.S. warship “illegally intruded” in the Paracel Islands without permission from the CCP regime, Tian Junli, the CCP’s spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, said in a May 20 statement. He said the Chinese military forces tracked, warned, and …