China’s defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang urged America to maintain sovereignty, and said it respects freedom of navigation for all countries in disputed waters.
As tensions between China and the U. S. over South China Sea heighten, Beijing’s defense ministry said Thursday it was aware of the deployment of a U. S. aircraft carrier strike group in the disputed waters. While urging America to maintain sovereignty and security of China, defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said its nation respected freedom of navigation for all countries in the waters.
Last week, Rear Adm. James Kilby said the carrier USS Carl Vinson began operations in the South China Sea, a day after China wrapped up its own exercises. China has earlier called U. S.’s “freedom of navigation” exercises a serious breach of law as well as a provocation.
«China hopes the U. S. earnestly respects the sovereignty and security concerns of countries in the region, and earnestly respects the efforts of countries in the region to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea,» Ren said in a regular monthly news briefing, according to Reuters.
