BEIJING, March 24 (Portal) – China’s Defense Ministry said on Friday it must re-monitor and drive out the US Navy destroyer USS Milius, which entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands.
“We urge the United States to immediately stop such provocative acts, otherwise they will face the grave consequences of unforeseen incidents,” a Defense Department spokesman said in a statement.
The US Navy said the guided missile destroyer is asserting its navigational rights and freedoms.
“Unlawful and far-reaching maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including freedom of navigation and overflight, free trade and unhindered trade, and freedom of economic opportunity for the countries bordering the South China Sea,” so the said the US Navy’s 7th Fleet in an emailed statement.
US forces operate daily in the South China Sea, the US Navy said.
It was the second straight day of a standoff between the two superpowers amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.
China claims large parts of the territory that overlaps exclusive economic zones of various countries, including the Philippines. Trillions of dollars in commerce flow across the waterway every year.
Beijing newsroom reporting; writing by Bernard Orr; Edited by Christian Schmollinger and Jacqueline Wong
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