A United States Navy destroyer sailed close to islands being claimed by China in South China Sea on Tuesday, Reuters said in an exclusive report quoting three US government officials.
According to the report, the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Chafee sailed near Chinese-controlled features in Paracel Islands but not within the range of 12 nautical miles.
Meanwhile, in today’s press briefing Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said the Chinese military deployed air and sea assets to verify the identification and drive away the US warship from Paracel Islands’ territorial waters.
Vietnam, China, and Taiwan all have overlapping claims in Paracel Islands.
The Chinese spokesperson said the US warship violated Chinese and international laws and seriously threatened China’s sovereignty and security.
She also said that China already lodged a protest to the US government.