US Destroyer Re-Enters Paracel Waters, Shows Support to Freedom of Navigation
New U.S.-China friction broke out after a U.S. warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on May 18 and entered the disputed waters of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on May 20, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) condemning the move, and the United States claiming innocent passage.
The regime called the transit “an illegal intrusion,” while the United States accused China of violating international law and expressed its commitment to safeguarding maritime rights and freedoms.
It is the latest in a series of disagreements in the region. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) claims the Paracel Islands as its territory, calling it the Xisha Islands. They are also claimed by Vietnam and the Republic of China (ROC).
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China says U.S. warship illegally enters its territory in S. China Sea
Reuters | May 20, 2021 08:59 PM EDT
The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur patrols in the Philippine Sea (Photo : Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes/Handout via Reuters)
China said on Thursday an American warship had illegally entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea and was expelled, which the United States denied in the latest salvoes over Beijing s claims in the busy waterway.
In a statement, the Chinese military s Southern Theatre Command said the USS Curtis Wilbur entered the waters near the Paracel islands without permission, adding that its ships and planes followed the U.S. vessel out.