Navy, Administration Clash Over Chinese Islands

Some senior Navy officials are concerned about the Obama administration’s apparent reluctance to challenge China over its establishment of military bases on artificial islands. The Navy wants to treat the islands, which are in the South China Sea, as if they are in international waters, the Web news service Politico reported July 31. The administration has taken a hands-off approach for diplomatic reasons, according to the report. China is claiming the islands lie in its territorial waters, an assertion that is raising hackles among neighboring nations.