China says tailed, ‘issued a warning’ to US Navy ship in S. China Sea

Beijing’s military on Friday said it had tailed and issued a warning to a US Navy ship near the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea.

China “organised naval and air forces to tail and monitor the ship in accordance with laws and regulations and issued a warning to drive it away”, military spokesman Tian Junli said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Xi tells Blinken US, China should be ‘partners, not rivals’

The guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey “illegally intruded into China’s territorial waters near the Xisha Islands without approval from the Chinese government”, Tian said, referring to the Paracel Islands by their Chinese name.

“The actions by the United States seriously violate China’s sovereignty and security,” he added.

Tian accused Washington of being the “creator of security risks in the South China Sea” and the “biggest destroyer” of peace and stability in the area.

In a statement, the US Navy confirmed the ship had “asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands”.

ALSO READ: Mainlanders sneak a peek through China’s window to Taiwan

“At the conclusion of the operation, USS Halsey exited the excessive claim and continued operations in the South China Sea,” it added.

“Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas,” the statement said.

© Agence France-Presse