[Salvavida]

The comments came hours after the USS Lassen passed within 12-nautical miles of Subi Reef, an island built by China as a platform to assert its claim to almost 80 percent of one of the world’s busiest waterways. By passing so close to the man-made island, the U.S. is showing it doesn’t recognize that the feature qualifies for a 12-nautical mile territorial zone under international law.

Wait....what?? By staying 12 NM away from the reef, we just gave in to the Chinese assertion that it is their sovereign territory.

[DesertRhino]

No, we passed -inside- the 12 mile limit they imposed.