A US Navy aircraft carrier strike group has begun patrols in the South China Sea, despite a warning from China on Wednesday not to interfere with Chinese sovereignty in the area. <br/><br/>The US Navy said the group, which includes Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, began routine patrols yesterday. The area where the US group is patrolling is a disputed area and China has been asserting its rule over the waterway despite territorial claims from a number of other east Asian nations.<br/><br/>Nations competing with China for claims to parts of the South China Sea include Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Taiwan also claims part of the area.

A US Navy aircraft carrier strike group has begun patrols in the South China Sea, despite a warning from China on Wednesday not to interfere with Chinese sovereignty in the area. <br/><br/>The US Navy said the group, which includes Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, began routine patrols yesterday. The area where the US group is patrolling is a disputed area and China has been asserting its rule over the waterway despite territorial claims from a number of other east Asian nations.<br/><br/>Nations competing with China for claims to parts of the South China Sea include Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Taiwan also claims part of the area.