Defense officials said the ships “undermined strategic mutual trust between the two militaries and damaged peace, security and good order in relevant waters.”
Chinese officials reacted angrily to the presence of two U. S. Navy warships in the South China Sea on Sunday, with a Defense Ministry spokesman calling it a “provocation” and “a serious infringement on China’s sovereignty.”
In a statement, the ministry said the military immediately dispatched naval ships and aircraft to “warn them off.”
The confrontation occurred near the disputed Paracel Islands, which are claimed by China and its neighbors, amid escalating military tension between the United States and China and planning for an on again-off again summit over North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
Experts believe China — North Korea’s largest trading partner — was behind the recent derailment of the June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un.
