China says it warned away US warship in South China Sea
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China said the USS Benfold "illegally" sailed into Chinese territorial waters without permission.
PHOTO: US 7TH FLEET/FACEBOOK
BEIJING (REUTERS) - Chinese forces followed and warned away a US warship which entered waters near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the country's military said on Thursday (Jan 20), in the latest uptick in tensions in the disputed waterway.
The Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army said the USS Benfold "illegally" sailed into Chinese territorial waters without permission, violating the country's sovereignty, and that Chinese naval and air forces tracked the ship.
"We solemnly demand that the US side immediately stop such provocative actions, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen events," it added.
The US Navy rejected the idea that the Benfold was warned away but appeared to confirm that the ship was operating in the area, saying the mission reflected the US Navy’s commitment to defend freedom of navigation.
“The PRC’s statement about this mission is false,” 7th Fleet spokesman Mark Langford said in a statement, using China's official name, the People's Republic of China. The 7th Fleet is part of the US Navy’s Pacific force.
The Benfold was conducting what the navy called a freedom of navigation operation “in accordance with international law”, the statement said. The ship then “continued on to conduct normal operations in international waters”.
“The PRC’s statement about this mission is false,” 7th Fleet spokesman Mark Langford said in a statement, using China's official name, the People's Republic of China. The 7th Fleet is part of the US Navy’s Pacific force.
The Benfold was conducting what the navy called a freedom of navigation operation “in accordance with international law”, the statement said. The ship then “continued on to conduct normal operations in international waters”.
The US Navy frequently carries out such missions in the South China Sea to challenge Chinese territorial claims.
“The United States is defending every nation’s right to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Benfold did this week. Nothing the PRC says otherwise will deter us,” the statement further added.
“The United States is defending every nation’s right to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Benfold did this week. Nothing the PRC says otherwise will deter us,” the statement further added.
China has established military outposts on artificial islands in the waters, which are crossed by vital shipping lanes and also contain gas fields and rich fishing grounds.
The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints in the testy relationship between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing.
China claims vast swaths of the South China Sea. Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines all have overlapping claims.
