IN A DESPERATE bid to reduce tensions between the US and China over the South China Sea spiralling out of control a top US Navy Chief has been sent to hold talks with Beijing.

Sail-throughs by the US Navy in the hotly sought-after South China Sea have forced a top US Navy Commander to meet with his Chinese counterpart for urgent talks to “reduce risk”. The dispute over the sovereignty of certain areas of the South China Sea include the Parcels and the Spratlys. The territory has been claimed partly or wholly by numerous countries including China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The heightened tensions between the two world powers saw Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral John Richardson travelling to China on Sunday to meet Chinese Navy Commander Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong.

Mr Richardson said: “A routine exchange of views is essential, especially in times of friction, in order to reduce risk and avoid miscalculation.”

The US maintains that sailing through the South China Sea is not contentious under the Freedom of Navigation program.

But China continues to attack the actions of the US Navy by suggesting they are simply outright provocations.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1071355/south-china-sea-us-navy-china-donald-trump-us-navy