China has reacted angrily after two US warships sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, describing the move as a “provocation”…
China has reacted angrily after two US warships sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, describing the move as a “provocation” and accusing America of committing a serious infringement of the country’s sovereignty.
A statement issued by the defence ministry said Chinese vessels and aircraft warned American ships to leave because they had entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea, through which nearly $5 trillion in ship-borne trade flows, without permission. The move “contravened Chinese and relevant international law, seriously infringed upon Chinese sovereignty [and] harmed strategic mutual trust between the two militaries”, it said.
It described the Chinese military’s resolve to defend the country’s sovereignty as “unswerving”.
US officials told Reuters the USS Higgins, a guided-missile destroyer, and the USS Antietam, a guided-missile cruiser, came within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands – a string of islets, reefs, and shoals – over which China has had territorial disputes with neighbouring countries.
The operation was the latest attempt by US President Donald Trump ’s administration to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s efforts to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters. The move comes just days after the president cancelled a 12 June summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a relationship in which China has a vested interest.
North Korea relies on China, one of its handful of allies, for trade in essentials like fuel, seafood, textiles and financial services. Mr Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met several times, the latest meeting taking place in China.
The South China dispute also puts further strain on US-China ties amid a trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.
