A U.S. Navy destroyer has docked in Shanghai in a sign that contacts between the U.S. and Chinese militaries are continuing despite tensions over the South China Sea. The visit by the USS Stethem follows Chinese protests over the sailing last month of the guided missile destroyer USS Lassen within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) of disputed Subi Reef. The reef has been transformed by Beijing into an island over the objections of other claimants. The U.S. maintains that such man-made islands do not qualify for territorial waters. The visit Monday by the Arleigh-Burke class destroyer to China's financial center followed a stop in the northern port of Qingdao. The two countries are also planning a combined search and rescue exercise at sea.
