U.S. warship travels near disputed reef in South China Sea

WASHINGTON, May 10 (UPI) -- A U.S. warship challenged Chinese maritime claims by sailing within 12 nautical miles of reclaimed reefs in the South China Sea.

The guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence traveled near Fiery Cross Reef, where China has built an artificial island, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Two fighter jets and three Chinese vessels, according to China's defense ministry, monitored the Pentagon warship.

Beijing called the U.S. move a provocation.

China's unilateral activities have led to a significant buildup in the disputed area, which is also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines, among other countries.

The tensions have served as a catalyst to the rekindling of a defense alliance between the United States and the Philippines.

A defense pact between the two countries allows the United States to build military facilities at five Philippine bases, and the former U.S. naval base at Subic Bay is witnessing a rise in activity.

The tensions have also contributed to the rise of a Filipino presidential candidate who has slammed China for its activities, The Washington Post reported.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who won the presidential election Tuesday after his opponents withdrew, riled the Philippine public with controversial statements on rape and extrajudicial killings, but his campaign gained traction for his position on the South China Sea.

At one point Duterte had said the he would go to the disputed islands on his Jet Skis.

"I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, 'Kill me,'" he said, according to The Post.

Fiery Cross is now comprised of 700 acres of reclaimed land. Beijing has constructed a 10,000-foot runway on the island as well as other military facilities, breaking an earlier pledge to not militarize the island.