Tensions in the South China Sea have exploded after Beijing claimed to have intercepted what it called a “trespassing” US Destroyer in the region.
China claims the majority of the South China Sea – something not recognised by the US and its allies as well as numerous other nations that lay claim to parts of the crucial waterway.
Posting on the Chinese social media site Weibo, China’s Southern Theatre said: “On May 10, the USS Halsey guided-missile destroyer, without the approval of the Chinese government [and] after illegally intruding into China’s Xisha territorial waters, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army organized naval and air forces to track and monitor them in accordance with laws and regulations and warn them to leave. The US’s actions seriously violate China’s sovereignty and security.”
Beijing accused Washington of being a “security risk creator” and attempting to “militarise the South China Sea”. China claimed its forces were on “high alert” following the incident.
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