Advertisement
China protests against US Navy destroyer entering South China Sea waters
- USS John S. McCain carries out a freedom of navigation operation in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands
- It is first such operation under the presidency of Joe Biden
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
28
Liu Zhenin Beijing
China on Friday protested against a United States destroyer entering into disputed South China Sea waters.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain on Friday carried out a freedom of navigation operation in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands, after a sail-through of the Taiwan Strait on Thursday with Chinese warships following the transit.
It was the first such operation under the presidency of Joe Biden.
Advertisement
The US warship had entered within the 12 nautical miles of the island’s territorial water without permission, so the Chinese navy and air force tracked and monitored it near the Paracels and “drove it away after warning”, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said on Friday.
Advertisement
This group of islands in northwest of South China Sea are claimed by Beijing, Taipei and Hanoi, and controlled by the PLA since 1970s.
A spokesman for the PLA Southern Theater Command accused the US side of both infringing on China’s sovereignty and security and disinforming the public in its later statement.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x