Tensions are rising once again between the United States and China over the South China Sea, as China’s military claims to have tracked and warned away a US warship that allegedly entered waters it claims. The US Navy has denied these allegations, stating that the ship was on a routine operation and left the area of its own accord. The dispute underscores the ongoing tensions between the two nations as China seeks to assert its territorial claims in the region and the US seeks to maintain freedom of navigation in international waters.
Image Source: South China Sea Morning Post
US-China Tensions Escalate as American Warship Accused of Illegal Entry into South China Sea
Tensions between the United States and China are once again on the rise as China’s military claims to have tracked and warned away a US warship that had allegedly entered waters it claims in the South China Sea. The USS Milius, a guided missile destroyer, is said to have intruded into waters around the disputed Paracel Islands, according to a statement released by the Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday.Â
The PLA organized sea and air forces to track and monitor the ship in accordance with the law and warned it to leave, citing the vessel’s illegal incursion into Chinese territorial waters. China’s state media described the US ship as having trespassed in “Chinese territorial waters,” leading to yet another round of dispute between the two nations in the contested region.
However, the US Navy disputed these claims, asserting that the destroyer was conducting routine operations in the South China Sea and was not expelled by Chinese ships. This latest disagreement underscores the ongoing tensions between the two nations, as China continues to assert its territorial claims in the region while the US seeks to maintain freedom of navigation in international waters
According to Tian Junli, the spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the PLA deployed sea and air forces to track and monitor the USS Milius in accordance with the law and issued a warning for it to leave. Junli further stated that the US warship had made an illegal incursion into Chinese territorial waters without permission from the Chinese government, disrupting the peace and stability of the region.
The Southern Theatre Command will maintain a high level of readiness and take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and peace and stability in the South China Sea, he added. Meanwhile, China’s state media has accused the US vessel of having trespassed in “Chinese territorial waters”.
Image Source: ABC News
In recent months, the tension between the United States and China has been on the rise. This is due in part to Beijing’s increasingly aggressive stance towards Taiwan and Washington’s efforts to solidify military alliances with other Asian countries involved in territorial disputes in the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, a critical waterway through which trillions of dollars of trade flow annually, despite a ruling by an international court that this claim has no legal basis.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei all have overlapping claims in the area and have accused Chinese vessels of harassing their fishing boats. The Paracel Islands, where the USS Milius was spotted, are also claimed by Vietnam. To assert freedom of navigation in international waters, the US regularly sends naval vessels through the region, a move that has heightened tensions with Beijing
