BEIJING (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd March, 2023) The United States has to stop its provocative actions in the South China Sea as Beijing is ready to protect its sovereignty, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, American guided missile destroyer USS Milius entered the waters of the disputed Paracel Islands, also known as the Xisha Islands, without notifying China. Beijing said its navy grouping of the Southern Theater Command escorted the US vessel and warned it to leave the area.
"The US should immediately stop such infringement and provocation. China will continue to take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the nation's sovereignty and security, and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea," the diplomat said in response to a question on the US warship.
Beijing has long been disputing ownership of several hydrocarbon-rich islands in the South China Sea with several Asia-Pacific countries. The territories include the Paracel archipelago, the Spratly Islands, and the Scarborough Shoal.
In July 2016, following a lawsuit filed by the Philippines, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China had no grounds for territorial claims in the South China Sea. According to the court, the disputed territories of the Spratly archipelago are not considered as islands in the legal sense, but rather rocks or low-tide elevations which do not form an exclusive economic zone. Beijing has said that it did not consider the decision of the court valid and did not recognize it.
The situation in the sea region is often complicated by the passage of US warships, which, according to Beijing, violate international law and undermine China's sovereignty and security. Washington has said that US forces will continue to operate wherever international law allows, including the South China Sea.
