Mar 24, 2023 11:06 UTC
  •  China forces US warship out of South China Sea again

China's ministry of defense has announced that it once again had to monitor and expel a US Navy destroyer USS Milius, which had illegally entered China’s territorial waters of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

"We sternly demand the US to immediately stop such provocative acts, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen incidents," a spokesperson said on Friday in a statement from the Ministry of National Defense.

Meanwhile, the US Navy said the guided-missile destroyer was defending its rights and freedom of navigation.

“Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and over flight, free trade and unimpeded commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for South China Sea littoral nations,” the US Navy 7th fleet said in an emailed statement.

The navy further said that the US forces operate on a daily basis in the South China Sea.

The latest stand-off between the two countries comes in as the second straight day of the stand-off amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.

On Thursday, China’s military had reported that it monitored and drove away a US warship that had illegally entered waters around the South China Sea, but the war vessel re-appeared on Friday again.

The Friday incident happened amid growing tensions in the region with the rise of Washington’s military activities in the Asia-Pacific.

China has expressed concerns over the US war games with its allies in the Asia-Pacific.

President Xi Jinping and his newly appointed Foreign Minister Qin Gang both used strong language last week, condemning the US for preserving a "Cold War mentality.”

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