A U.S. destroyer that had unauthorized entered the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands was chased out, the China’s navy said on Thursday.
The military said in a statement that the guided-missile destroyer Milius unlawfully entered Chinese national waters without permission from the government, disrupting peace and stability in the busiest waterway.
According to Tian Junli, a spokeswoman for China’s Southern Theatre Command, “The forces will maintain a high state of alert at all times and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
In the region, tension between the US and China has been rising. In an effort to confront China’s aggression in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait as Beijing strives to extend its territorial claims, the United States has been strengthening partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region.
