New U.S.-China friction broke out 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, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) condemning the move, and the United States claiming innocent passage. The regime called the transit “an illegal intrusion,” while the United States accused China of violating international law and expressed its commitment to safeguarding maritime rights and freedoms. It is the latest in a series of disagreements in the region. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims the Paracel Islands as its territory, calling it the Xisha Islands. They are also claimed by Vietnam and the Republic of China (ROC). On May 20, the CCP’s spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, Tian Junli, said in a statement that the guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54) “illegally …