By Orange Wang
The Chinese government has hit out at US freedom of navigation operations in the first report of its kind.
The report – “Legal Assessment of the United States’ ‘Freedom of Navigation’” – is the first official study of its kind published by Beijing and marks its growing desire to challenge what it characterised as “gunboat diplomacy”.
“US ‘freedom of navigation’ lacks a basis in international law and seriously distorts the interpretation and development of international law,” the report said.
It…