Leave or bear consequences, China warns US destroyer near disputed South China Sea islands

On anniversary of tribunal’s rejection of Beijing’s claim, USS Benfold warned it will pay price if it does not leave vicinity of Paracels

The guided missile destroyer is understood to have recently taken part in joint exercises with the Singapore navy

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The Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command says it has warned the USS Benfold after it was seen near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

Published: 2:50pm, 12 Jul 2021Updated: 5:36pm, 12 Jul 2021

China has warned a US warship to leave the vicinity of the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea or “bear all consequences” on the fifth anniversary of an international tribunal’s rejection of most of Beijing’s claims over the resource-rich waters.

The Paracels – called the Xisha Islands by Beijing – are also claimed by Vietnam and the self-ruled island of Taiwan. A Vietnamese fishing boat was sunk by a Chinese ship near the islands in April last year.

Tian Junli, spokesman for the Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), said the guided missile destroyer USS Benfold had been warned to leave after it “trespassed” into Chinese waters on Monday near the islands.

“The US military’s actions seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, seriously damaged the peace and stability of the South China Sea and seriously violated international law and the norms of international relations – more ironclad proof it is engaging in navigational hegemony to cause the militarisation of the South China Sea,” he said.

“We strongly condemn and resolutely oppose this, and we urge the US side to immediately stop their provocative actions and to strictly control their maritime and air activities. Otherwise, the US side will need to bear all consequences that arise from this.”

The Seventh Fleet said the USS Benfold had conducted a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) on Monday near the Paracel Islands to challenge “the unlawful restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam” and China’s claims to straight baselines around the islands.

“USS Benfold conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and then continued on to conduct normal operations in international waters,” it said. “The PLA Navy’s statement is the latest in a long string of PRC actions to misrepresent lawful US maritime operations and assert its excessive and illegitimate maritime claims at the expense of its Southeast Asian neighbours in the South China Sea.”