China’s military says it tracked and warned away a United States warship that had illegally entered waters it claims in the South China Sea.
The US Navy denied China’s claims, stating that the ship was on a routine operation and left the area of its own accord.
In a statement on Thursday, the Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said the USS Milius, a guided missile destroyer, intruded into waters around the disputed Paracel Islands.
The PLA “organised sea and air forces to track and monitor [the ship] in accordance with the law” and “warned it to leave”, spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command Tian Junli said.
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The US vessel “made an illegal incursion into Chinese territorial waters … without permission from the Chinese government, harming peace and stability” in the region, he said.
“The theatre forces will maintain a high state of alert at all times and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he said.
China’s state media described the US ship as having trespassed in “Chinese territorial waters”.