Beijing accused the United States of entering the waters around its islands without the consent of Vietnam and Taiwan.

When the US Navy sent a warship through the disputed South China Sea to perform a mission in the waters near the Paracel Islands, China expressed anger. It said it was “asserting” the right of navigation and freedom, but China said it was illegal.

The Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said on Thursday that the Curtis Wilbur warship entered the waters without permission and its ships and aircraft followed American ships.

The national radio and television station CGTN reported that the spokesperson Tian Junli said that the People’s Liberation Army “expelled” the Curtis Wilbur and described the United States as a “real troublemaker.”

China occupied almost the entire South China Sea under its so-called nine-dot dash The Hague International Tribunal unreasonably rejected this ruling. Taiwan and the coastal states of Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia also own all or part of the sea.

The US 7th Fleet said in a statement that the “Arleigh Burke”-class guided-missile cruiser Curtis Wilbur sailed in the “South China Sea” near the “Parcel Islands” on May 20. To protect its rights, the freedom recognized by international law and the legal use of the sea.

The statement said: “Illegal and widespread maritime claims in the South China Sea seriously threaten the freedom of the sea, including freedom of navigation and overflight, free trade and unhindered commerce, and freedom of economic opportunity for countries along the South China Sea,” said.

The staff of the USS Curtis Wilbur stood on the bridge and crossed the waters of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands [Courtesy of US Navy 7th Fleet]

The South China Sea has become a major flash point in the deterioration of U.S.-China relations. Washington rejected Beijing’s proposal on the strategic waterway, where China accelerated the construction of artificial islands and expanded small stone islands to establish military bases.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam all have sovereignty over the Paracel Islands and China’s Czarist Islands, and the Paracel Islands are called the Paracel Islands in China. The island chain is located about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Vietnam and 350 kilometers (220 miles) south of China.

The U.S. Navy says that all three require permission or prior notice before warships or warships can pass through territorial waters “harmlessly.” It added that according to the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, ships of all countries (including warships) have the right to pass through the territorial waters harmlessly, and stated that it did not seek any prior notice or permission from the claimant.

In recent years, the United States has increased its so-called “freedom of navigation” operations not only in the South China Sea but also in the Taiwan Strait (Surtis Wilbur) Sailing on tuesday. China says this action puts “peace and stability” at risk.

The US Navy statement said: “The United States insists on freedom of navigation as a principle,” and he emphasized that its operations are carried out in accordance with international law. It dispatched a warship, the John S McCain, near the “Parcel” in February..

“As long as certain countries continue to claim maritime claims that contradict the international law reflected in the 1982 “Convention on the Law of the Sea,” and advocate illegal restrictions on the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all countries, the United States will continue to defend these claims. Rights and freedoms.”