World
China says it 'expelled' U.S. Navy vessel from South China Sea
China's Southern Theater army command "organized sea and air forces to track, monitor, verify, and identify the U.S. ships throughout the journey, and warned and expelled them," said Chinese military spokesperson Li Huamin, in a statement.
"The provocative actions of the United States seriously violated relevant international law norms, seriously violated China's sovereignty and security interests, artificially increased regional security risks, and were prone to cause unexpected incidents," he said.
NBC News reached out to American officials who were not immediately available for comment overnight.
The South China Sea is a potentially energy-rich stretch of water and home to more than 200 specks of land. It serves as a gateway to global sea routes where approximately $3.4 trillion of trade passes annually.
The numerous overlapping sovereign claims to islands, reefs and rocks — many of which disappear under high tide — have turned the waters into a zone of competing diplomatic interests, embroiling neighbors. Beijing holds the lion's share of these features with approximately 27 outposts peppered throughout.
Tension has been simmering in the South China Sea, of late, particularly between China and its Asian seafaring neighbors Malaysia and the Philippines.
This month Vietnam also lodged an official protest with China, following the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat it said had been rammed by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel near the Paracel Islands, in the South China Sea. China denied the claims and said the Vietnamese boat had illegally entered the area to fish and refused to leave.
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told his Southeast Asian counterparts that China was taking advantage of the world’s preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic to push its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.
"Beijing has moved to take advantage of the distraction, from China’s new unilateral announcement of administrative districts over disputed islands ... its sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel earlier this month, and its ‘research stations’ on Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef," Pompeo said in a video meeting with the foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on April 23.
Pompeo also accused China of deploying militarized ships to intimidate other claimant countries from developing offshore gas and oil projects in the region.
Last week, the U.S. Navy said it had partnered with the Australian navy for operations in the South China Sea, which began April 13.
"To bring this much combat capability together here in the South China Sea truly signals to our allies and partners in the region that we are deeply committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Rear Adm. Fred Kacher, commander of the America Expeditionary Strike Group, in a statement.
The U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet and routinely conducts operations in the Indo-Pacific area. It has said that all of its interactions during freedom of navigation movements have been in accordance with international norms.
The U.S. Navy has previously stated that sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea posed a serious threat to freedom of the seas and the right of innocent passage of all ships.
Spokesperson Li also urged the U.S. to instead focus on its national COVID-19 crisis.
"We urge the United States to focus on the prevention and control of its national epidemic situation, do more useful things for international anti-epidemic efforts, and immediately stop military operations that are not conducive to regional security, peace and stability," he said.
The coronavirus pandemic has been a growing source of tension between the world's two largest economies, with both Washington D.C. and Beijing heaping criticism on each others' handling of the outbreak.
Li added that Chinese forces would continue to "resolutely perform their duties" in the South China Sea to "firmly maintain peace and stability."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
World
US Navy ship sails through Chinese-claimed waters in South China Sea
World
U.S. warship sails through Taiwan Strait, second time in a month
TAIPEI,
April 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. warship has again sailed through the
sensitive Taiwan Strait, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said on Friday, the
second time in a month amid heighten tension between Taiwan and China
and as a Chinese aircraft carrier passes near the island.
China, which considers Taiwan its own, has been angered by the Trump administration's stepped-up support for the island, such as more arms sales, U.S. patrols near it and a visit to Washington by Vice President-elect William Lai in February.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the U.S. warship had transited the narrow Taiwan Strait that separates the island from its giant neighbour China in a southerly direction and was continuing to sail south.
Taiwan's armed forces monitored the ship which it described as being on an "ordinary mission", the ministry added, without providing further details.
Two weeks ago a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer also sailed through the strait, on the same day that Chinese fighter jets drilled in waters close to the democratically-ruled island.
Taiwan said on Thursday that a Chinese aircraft carrier group had sailed to its south through the Bashi Channel that sits between Taiwan and the Philippines and was heading east.
The carrier group earlier this month sailed down Taiwan's east coast. China said at the time it was on its way to routine exercises in the disputed South China Sea.
China has carried out frequent drills near Taiwan in recent months, including flying fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers close to the island, in moves denounced by Taipei's government as attempts at intimidation. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)
China, which considers Taiwan its own, has been angered by the Trump administration's stepped-up support for the island, such as more arms sales, U.S. patrols near it and a visit to Washington by Vice President-elect William Lai in February.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry said the U.S. warship had transited the narrow Taiwan Strait that separates the island from its giant neighbour China in a southerly direction and was continuing to sail south.
Taiwan's armed forces monitored the ship which it described as being on an "ordinary mission", the ministry added, without providing further details.
Two weeks ago a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer also sailed through the strait, on the same day that Chinese fighter jets drilled in waters close to the democratically-ruled island.
Taiwan said on Thursday that a Chinese aircraft carrier group had sailed to its south through the Bashi Channel that sits between Taiwan and the Philippines and was heading east.
The carrier group earlier this month sailed down Taiwan's east coast. China said at the time it was on its way to routine exercises in the disputed South China Sea.
China has carried out frequent drills near Taiwan in recent months, including flying fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers close to the island, in moves denounced by Taipei's government as attempts at intimidation. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry)
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