It is unclear if this was a FONOP or mere innocent passage because there are no details of what USS Stethem did near Triton island.
The last mission conducted was a true FONOP, unlike Obama-era missions.
China's operation in the Baltic Sea with the Russians may be one way of counter-signaling.
UPDATE: The Air Force adds their signal:
Two U.S bombers have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Air Force said on Friday, asserting the right to treat the region as international territory despite China's claim to virtually all of the waterway.
The flight by the B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam on Thursday came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Germany.
Simply put, the international waters of the South China Sea are not Chinese territorial waters. Period.
