As Beijing conducts large-scale military exercises around Taiwan for the third consecutive day, China on Monday condemned the "
intrusion
" of a US destroyer into an area of the South China Sea claimed by Beijing, after the announcement by the United States Navy that the USS Milius had conducted a "
freedom of navigation operation
" there.
“
This freedom of navigation operation respected the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea
,” the US Navy said in a statement, adding that the ship passed close to the Spratly Islands.
The ship passed within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of Mischief Reef, claimed by China and other countries in the region.
"
The guided-missile destroyer USS Milius conducted an illegal intrusion into the waters adjacent to the Meiji Reef in China's Nansha Islands, without the approval of the Chinese government," said Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of China
. the Chinese military, in a statement, adding that the Beijing Air Force “
followed and carried out surveillance of the vessel
”.
