The Chinese military announced in a statement today, Thursday, that it monitored and drove away an American destroyer that illegally entered the waters around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, while Washington denied the validity of the statement. The U.S. Navy denied the claims made in the Chinese military's statement, affirming that their destroyer was not expelled from the South China Sea.
A statement from the U.S. Seventh Fleet indicated that the destroyer USS Millius was conducting routine operations in the South China Sea and had not been expelled. The statement added, "The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows."
Earlier, the Chinese military stated that without government approval, the guided-missile destroyer Millius illegally entered China's territorial waters, undermining peace and stability in the busy waterway. Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese military, stated, "The theater forces will maintain a state of heightened alert at all times and take all necessary measures to firmly protect national sovereignty, security, peace, and stability in the South China Sea."
It is noteworthy that tensions between the United States and China in the region are escalating. The United States is working to strengthen its alliances in the Asia-Pacific region in an effort to counter China's influence in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, while Beijing is seeking to assert its regional claims.
