China’s military on Tuesday claimed a U.S. guided missile cruiser "trespassed" in its waters near the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, though the U.S. Navy decried the claims as "false."
"The guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville trespassed into the waters adjacent to islands and reefs of China's Spratly Islands without the approval of the Chinese government," China’s defense ministry said, adding that its "Southern Theater Command organized air and naval forces to track, monitor and warn it off."
(TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)
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Spokesman for the Southern Theater Command, Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, claimed the cruiser "seriously violated China's sovereignty and security."
The U.S. Navy rejected China’s claims of "illegal behavior" and said it was acting within its rights under international law and was conducting a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, where it has accused China of attempting to restrict "innocent passage."
"Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea pose a serious threat to the freedom of the seas, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, free trade, and unimpeded commerce," the Navy said in a statement.
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