The U.S. has again sent its warships through the South China Sea in a combat drill - the third sailing since President Joe Biden took over the White House.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Nimitz with their strike groups were involved.
The U.S. Navy said the operation was to support a free and open Indo-Pacific. It said it "conducted a multitude of exercises aimed at increasing interoperability between assets as well as command and control capabilities."
"We are committed to ensuring the lawful use of the sea that all nations enjoy under international law," said Rear Admiral Jim Kirk, commander of the Nimitz carrier strike group.
The drill was the third in Asia since the Biden administration took office.
Biden this week said his administration was ready for "extreme competition" against China but on its own terms. He said his administration would compete hard with China.
Biden said China's leader Xi Jinping "doesn't have a democratic 'small D' bone in his body." However, he said he was open to talks with China. "The question is, I've said to him all along that we need not have a conflict," he said.
