A US official said the destroyer USS Chafee sailed near the Paracel Islands on Tuesday, coming within 16 nautical miles (30 kilometers) of land. The Navy does not announce such missions in advance and the official spoke on condition of anonymity, AP reported.
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying denounced the mission as dangerous and a violation of China's sovereignty. She said the military verified the presence of the US ship by sea and air and warned it off.
"The Chinese government will continue to take firm measures to safeguard national territory, sovereignty and maritime interests," Hua told reporters at a daily briefing.
(Tasnim)
11/10/17
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China sent a guided-missile frigate, two fighter jets and a helicopter to warn off the USS ‘Chafee’ near disputed islands in the South China Sea, accusing the US of damaging the country’s sovereignty and security interests in the region.
ReplyDeleteBeijing condemned the mission of the guided-missile destroyer USS ‘Chafee,’ which on Tuesday sailed within 16 nautical miles of the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, within the framework of a so-called “freedom of navigation” operation.
“In the face of repeated provocation by the US forces, the Chinese military will further strengthen preparation for combat at sea and in the air and improve the defenses to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security interests,” China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement, quoted by the South China Morning Post newspaper......https://on.rt.com/8pk9