In November, President Trump said he would mediate between various claimants of the South China Sea.
China on Saturday accused the U. S. of trespassing in its waters when a U. S. guided missile destroyer sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China would take “necessary measures” to protect its sovereignty after the U. S. Navy’s USS Hopper sailed within 12 nautical miles of Huangyan Island, also known as Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday night.
According to China’s Defense Ministry, a Chinese frigate “immediately took actions to identify and verify the U. S. ship and drove it away by warning.”
Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian also said that the Chinese government hopes that “the U.
