Chinese military demands US 'stop provocative actions' and 'restrict' naval operations in the South China Sea after USS John McCain enters waters in disputed area without permission
China has demanded the US 'control and restrict' its naval operations in the South China Sea after a US guided missile destroyer entered waters around the disputed Paracel Islands without permission.
A spokesperson for the Chinese People's Liberation Army accused the US of flexing its military muscle after the USS John McCain was spotted sailing into China's territorial waters on Friday.
'It is a naked navigational hegemony and military provocation,' Colonel Zhang Nandong said in a statement.
The USS John McCain (pictured in 2017) was spotted sailing into the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea without China's permission on Friday, the Chinese military said
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea based on the 'nine-dash line', a vague delineation which dates back to the 1940s. Pictured: Group of islands part of the disputed Paracel Islands located in the South China Sea
'We demand the US immediately stop such provocative actions, strictly control and restrict military operations in the sea and air to avoid accidents.'
The Chinese military claimed the US has 'frequently' sent warships to the South China Sea to 'show off its force and severely infringe upon China's sovereignty and security interests'.
The spokesperson said it would take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and to maintain peace and stability in the region.
In July, China accused the US of 'sailing through the world like a bully' after two aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan, were dispatched to the South China Sea in a show of force.
Beijing claims most of the South China Sea based on the 'nine-dash line', a vague delineation which dates back to the 1940s.
China has spent years building military bases on artificial islands in the area, which is home to valuable oil and gas deposits and is a vital commercial waterway.
The US Pacific Fleet shared photos of the USS John McCain crew during their deployment to the South China Sea on Thursday
The US has conducted freedom of navigation operations in the region, causing tensions between the two countries
The US meanwhile has conducted freedom of navigation operations in the region, causing tensions between the two countries.
It comes after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Japan on Tuesday to rally support from Washington's closest allies in Asia, calling for deeper collaboration against China's growing regional influence.
Pompeo spoke in typically unsparing terms against Beijing's ruling Chinese Communist Party.
That was in contrast to his three counterparts, Japan, India and Australia, all of whom avoided calling out China directly.
China later accused Pompeo of maliciously creating political confrontation and smearing Beijing and called on the US to 'stop its unprovoked attacks.'
'We once again urge the US to abandon its Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice, stop unprovoked accusations and attacks against China and treat relations with China in a constructive manner,' the Chinese embassy in Japan said in a statement.
Pompeo's East Asia visit, his first in more than a year, coincides with worsening tensions with China.
The United States and China, the world's top two economies, have been at loggerheads over a wide range of issues from Beijing's handling of the coronavirus to its imposition of a new security law in Hong Kong and ambitions in the South China Sea.