Alwaght- China vowed "necessary measures" will be undertaken to safeguard the country's sovereignty after a US warship entered waters surrounding Huangyan Island in the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang confirmed that the USS Hopper, a guided missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Chinese island on Wednesday evening without Chinese government permission.
According to Lu, the Chinese Navy has conducted an identification and warning process to drive the US warship away.
Lu said the US warship has impaired China's sovereignty and security interests, and caused a serious threat to Chinese vessels and personnel working in the area.
The spokesperson said the US side's behavior has broken basic protocols of international relations, voicing China's strong dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, China's Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Wu Qian has told the US not to "cause trouble out of nothing," and to respect the sovereignty of China.
He added that the intruding US warship arbitrarily entered waters surrounding Huangyan Island before Chinese missile destroyer Huangshan immediately conducted an identification and warning process to drive it away.
The United States has sent vessels to illegally enter the waters around China's islands and reefs in the South China Sea on multiple occasions, endangering the safety of vessels and personnel from both sides, the spokesperson continued.
The Chinese military will continue to fulfill its defensive duties, intensify its patrols in the air and at sea, in order to firmly safeguard the sovereignty and security of the country, as well as the regional peace and stability, he added.
