The United States missile destroyer USS Benfold illegally entered the waters of the disputed Xisha islands, also known as the Paracel islands, in the South China Sea, which China considers to be under its jurisdiction, Tian Junli, the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command spokesman, said on Thursday, calling on Washington to stop such provocations
BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th January, 2022) The United States missile destroyer USS Benfold illegally entered the waters of the disputed Xisha islands, also known as the Paracel islands, in the South China Sea, which China considers to be under its jurisdiction, Tian Junli, the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command spokesman, said on Thursday, calling on Washington to stop such provocations.
"On January 20 the US missile destroyer USS Benfold illegally entered the territorial waters of Chinese Xisha archipelago without authorization from the Chinese government," Tian said on WeChat.
He noted that the group of Chinese Navy's Southern Theater Command escorted the US destroyer and warned it to vacate the area.
According to Tian, the US actions have significantly infringed on China's sovereignty and security, while proving Washington's intentions to militarize the South China Sea.
"The facts have abundantly proven that the US is purely a creator of security threats in the South China Sea, as well as the major disruptor of peace and stability in (the region)," Tian said, stressing that Beijing demands Washington to "immediately terminate such provocative actions," otherwise it will be held accountable.
The South China Sea is one of the fault lines in US-China relations, with Washington rejecting Beijing's territorial claims in the resource-rich waters. The Paracels, called the Xisha Islands by Beijing, are part of the dispute alongside the Spratly archipelago, as China, Taiwan and Vietnam put claims on them.
The situation in the region is aggravated by the frequent passing of US warships, which, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, violate international law and undermine China's sovereignty.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China had no grounds for territorial claims in the South China Sea, as the Spratly archipelago were not islands, and did not constitute an exclusive economic zone. Beijing refused to recognize the decision.
