US Navy ship sails near SCS reef claimed by Beijing

A US Navy ship has sailed in disputed South China Sea waters near a reef claimed by Beijing, a US official said.

The USS Dewey sailed "less than 12 nautical miles" from Mischief Reef, part of the the Spratly Islands, in a "freedom of navigation operation," the official said.

It is Washington's first such exercise under the administration of Donald Trump.