Chinese army warns off US warship in disputed South China Sea
Beijing says its forces ‘tracked, monitored and warned away US warship in accordance with law’ near Xisha Islands
ISTANBUL
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China said on Thursday that a US warship "trespassed" into Chinese territorial waters near the Xisha Islands.
The warship was expelled from the waters, said Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command, in a statement.
The Xisha Islands, also known as the Parcel Islands, are located in the disputed South China Sea.
The US move has "seriously jeopardized" the peace and stability in the South China Sea, Tian said.
"On March 23, the US guided-missile destroyer USS Milius illegally entered the territorial waters near China's Xisha Islands without the Chinese government's permission. The naval and aerial forces of the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command conducted whole-process tracking and monitoring on the US destroyer in accordance with the law, and warned it off," the statement said.
"The troops of the PLA Southern Theater Command will always stay on high alert and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and security, as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea," Tian added.
