Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Military China said it had expelled the warship United States of America who illegally entered the waters near the Paracel Islands in South China Sea on Monday (12/7).
China’s Southern Theater Military Command said the warship USS Benfold entered the waters without China’s approval. According to Beijing, it seriously violates China’s sovereignty and undermines the stability of the South China Sea.
We urge the United States to immediately stop such provocative actions,” the Chinese military said in a statement Reuters.
Meanwhile, the USS Benfold confirmed that its voyage complies with the laws of freedom of navigation in international waters.
“Under international law as reflected in the Convention on the Law of the Sea, all state vessels, including their warships, are entitled to enjoy the freedom of peaceful passage in the territorial sea,” the US Navy said in a statement.
“By crossing the waters peacefully without giving notice or asking for permission, the U.S. opposes the restrictions or bans on sailing imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam in these free waters,” the U.S. added.
The US Navy also stressed that the USS Benfold’s voyage confirmed that the South China Sea and Paracel Islands do not belong to China and that Beijing’s claims to those waters are inconsistent with international law.
The expulsion of the US warship by China took place on the fifth anniversary of the Philippines’ victory over its lawsuit over China’s claims in SCS waters.
In 2016, the United Nations Court of Arbitration deemed China’s claims in the South China Sea invalid. However, China remains adamant that it is sovereign over these resource-rich waters.
Since then, President Xi Jinping’s administration has continued to build military installations on artificial islands in the South China Sea.
(rds / dea)
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