The United States Navy sent a warship through Chinese waters without the Chinese government's permission on Monday. The move was especially provocative given the flare-up in the trade frictions between the two countries.

The unauthorized sailing of the USS Preble in Chinese waters off Huangyan Island came after two US warships made incursions in waters off the Nansha Islands earlier this month, indicating that the US Navy has increased the frequency of its so-called freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea.

Ostensibly, the US uses the freedom of navigation missions as a pretext to challenge China's territorial claims. But their real intention is to contain China's rise and increase the strategic pressure on China, a strategy that was initiated by the previous US administration and one of the few foreign policy legacies the current administration has chosen to maintain rather than trash.

Although Washington has increased the visibility of its naval presence in the South China Sea by more frequently sending its warships to sail near or through China's territorial waters, China has shown the utmost restraint in responding to the incitements by the US. China has censured the US practice as it not only infringes upon China's territorial integrity but also poses a threat to its security, but the US Navy has ignored the requests for it to put a stop to its trespassing.

With tensions between the two countries already rife, there is no guarantee that the presence of US warships on China's doorstep will not spark direct confrontation between the two militaries.

Even if the US may be willing to lock horns with China in a full-blown trade war to fish for more economic gains, the dire consequences of a head-on conflict with China would be too costly for it to bear.

To prevent such an all-lose scenario from materializing, the US had better exercise caution and stop its provocative practice in the South China Sea.

The head of operations of the US Navy has claimed that its "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea get more attention than they deserve. But he is being disingenuous, as he well knows that they disregard the regional countries' shared aspiration for peace and stability in the South China Sea, which they are seeking to systematize in a code of conduct.

China's Defence Minister Wei Fenghe is due to give a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on June 2, in which he will expound on China's role in the Asia-Pacific. With acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan also attending, it is to be hoped that the US will appreciate that its unruly behavior is not in the best interests of the region, or itself.