Chinese military forces monitored and warned off the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville after it sailed into Chinese territorial waters off Nansha Islands in the South China Sea on Tuesday without permission from the Chinese government, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said in a statement.
Yongxing Island is home to the government of Sansha, China's southernmost city. (Photo: Xinhua)
The US military's action has severely undermined China's sovereignty and security interests, offering more hard proof that the US is seeking maritime hegemony and militarization in the South China Sea, said Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command.
"This fully demonstrates that the United States is a genuine security risk maker in the South China Sea," said Tian.
The spokesperson stressed that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters, and the troops of the PLA Southern Theater Command will always stay on high alert and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and security and protect peace and stability in the South China Sea.
(Compiled by Yang Yang)
