China says it ‘drove away’ US warship ‘illegally’ in waters claimed by Beijing on anniversary of Hague ruling on South China Sea — RT

 

Beijing has once again called on the US to desist from provocative behavior after an American warship entered the waters around the Paracel Islands on the fifth anniversary of a court ruling against Chinese claims to the region.

In a statement on Monday, the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army said it had dealt with an American warship, the USS ‘Benfold’, which had entered the waters around the Paracel Islands without China’s approval.

“We urge the United States to immediately stop such provocative actions,” it said in a statement, adding that the US must refrain from further moves that seriously violate Chinese sovereignty and undermine the stability of the South China Sea.

The US Navy insisted it was carrying out its regular operations and was not in violation of international law. “Under international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention, the ships of all states, including their warships, – enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea,” the Navy stated.

Monday’s disagreement comes five years to the day after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled that Beijing has no entitlement to the vast swathes of territory it continues to claim in the South China Sea on grounds of historic usage. The Paracel Islands are also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam. 

--

Some 20-33% of global trade by sea passes through the South China Sea. It is also home to rich fishing grounds.
Located in Southeast Asia, the South China Sea is claimed almost in its entirety by China, through what it calls the nine-dash line. China has over time militarized many low-lying islands and coral reefs in the area. But five years ago today, an international court effectively ruled Chinese claims to be illegal. Particularly in regards to Scarborough shoal, a low-lying rocky outcrop that, according to the court, falls within the Philippines’ territory.

The binding ruling by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration was in response to the Philippines taking China to court. But China refused to acknowledge the verdict. As a result, Filipino fishermen to this day are prevented from accessing the coveted fishing areas there.