RESPECT OUR SOVEREIGNTY: CHINA TELLS AMERICA
BEIJING: China said on Wednesday it has lodged a protest with the United States after an American warship sailed near disputed islands in the South China Sea.
The US Navy missile destroyer Chafee entered into China’s territorial waters+near the Sansha islands on Tuesday, according to Beijing’s foreign ministry.
China immediately dispatched military vessels and aircraft for identification and warned the US ship to leave, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing. “The US vessel action violated Chinese laws and relevant international laws, undermined China’s sovereignty and security interests,” Hua said.
“China is firmly opposed to that and has lodged stern presentations with the US,” Hua said, using the term for official diplomatic protests.
If confirmed by the United States, it would be the fourth “freedom of navigation” operation (FONOP) carried out by the US Navy since President Donald Trump took office in January.
A US defence ministry spokesman refused to confirm the manoeuvre.
But he said all operations are conducted in accordance with international law and “demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows”.“we are continuing regular FONOPS, as we have routinely done in the past and will continue to do in the future,” Lieutenant Colonel Chris Logan said in a statement.
The US Navy regularly carries out such operations to challenge Explained: The South China Sea dispute+ where Beijing has turned reefs into militarised artificial islands.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim territory in the vast sea. However, Hua said: “The Chinese government will continue to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime entitlements. We urge the US to respect Chinese sovereignty and security interests.”
Experts and some US officials have criticized former President Barack Obama for potentially reinforcing China’s claims by sticking to innocent passage, in which a warship effectively recognised a territorial sea by crossing it speedily without stopping.
The US military has a long-standing position that its operations are carried out throughout the world, including in areas claimed by allies, and that they are separate from political considerations.
The United States has said it would like to see more international participation in freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea.
Trump’s trip to Asia will likely be dominated by the North Korean nuclear threat. He will also visit South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines. In recent weeks, North Korea launched two missiles over Japan and conducted its sixth nuclear test, all in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, and may be fast advancing towards its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland.
Trump’s visit to China will reciprocate a trip to the United States made in April by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The US president’s attempts to get Chinese help with North Korea have met with limited success so far, but he has gone out of his way to thank Xi for his efforts.