But, at the same time, Washington seemed to be at a loss as to how to roll back China’s land grabs. US Navy officers advocated an aggressive response. In the National Security Council, however, officials fretted about pushing China too far. This disagreement was reflected in US action. In October 2015, the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within twelve miles of Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands. But when it did so, Obama administration officals called the Lassen’s mission one of “innocent passage,” which implied that the US government recognized that Subi was Chinese territory.
