China threatens the US with "serious consequences" for the navigation of a military ship in Southeast Asia

By David Rising -

China on Friday threatened "serious consequences" after the US Navy sailed a destroyer around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea for the second day in a row, in an action Beijing said was a violation of its sovereignty and security.

The warning comes amid rising tensions between China and the United States in the region, as the White House lashes out at Beijing's increasingly forceful stance in the South China Sea, a strategic point it claims virtually on its own. whole.

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On Thursday, after the United States sailed the destroyer USS Milius near the Paracel Islands, China reported that its navy and air force forced the withdrawal of the US ship, something the US military denies.

This Friday, the United States again sailed the ship near the islands, which are occupied by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, as part of what it described as a "freedom of navigation operation", against the requirements of All three countries require advance notice of a permit before the passage of a military vessel.

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March 24, 202300:51

“Illegal maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a grave threat to the freedom of the seas, including freedom of navigation and overflight, free trade and unrestricted commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for the coastal nations of the South China Sea," US 7th Fleet spokesman Lt. Luka Bakic said in a statement.

“The United States objects to excessive maritime claims throughout the world regardless of the identity of the claimant,” Bakic added.

China's Ministry of National Defense responded by accusing the United States of

. "

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"The act of the US military was a serious violation of China's sovereignty and security, seriously violated international law, and is irrefutable proof that the United States seeks naval hegemony and militarizes the South China Sea," he said. Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei.

"We solemnly request that the United States cease these types of provocative acts or else there will be serious consequences for the unexpected incidents this causes."

He added, without going into details, that China would take "all necessary measures" to ensure their safety.

As in its statement on the incident on Thursday, China again claimed that it led the US ship away from the islands, which lie in the South China Sea a few hundred miles off the coast of Vietnam and the Chinese province. from Hainan.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) conducts routine operations underway in the South China Sea, Friday, March 24, 2023. Petty Officer 1st Class Gregory Johnson / AP

Both parties claimed that their actions were justified by international law.

Bakic told The Associated Press that the ship "was not removed" and "continued to conduct routine maritime security operations in international waters" after completing its mission near the Paracel Islands.

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"The operation reflects our commitment to defend the freedom of navigation and the legitimate uses of the sea for all nations," he said.

"The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate where international law allows, as Milius has done today."

The United States has no claims to the South China Sea, but has deployed naval and air assets for decades to patrol the strategic seaway, which carries some $5 trillion in global trade each year and is home to fish stocks and mineral resources. high-value submarines.

A United Nations-backed arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's landmark claim to the waters had no legal basis under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and Washington maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight of the seaway are in the US national interest.

The Paracel Islands, which China considers part of Hainan province, on August 10, 2018.AFP via Getty Images

US forces currently operate daily in the South China Sea, and have been around for more than a century.

China often responds angrily, accusing the United States of meddling in Asian affairs and violating its sovereignty.

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Chinese claims have also often sparked conflicts with other nations in the region.

Philippine diplomats sparked a series of protests on Friday over China's recent attack on a Philippine coast guard vessel with a powerful military laser and other aggressive behavior.