PHOTO: The USS Lassen has passed within 12 nautical miles of at least one of the formations Beijing claims in the South China Sea.
The United States has defied China by sending a warship close to a series of artificial islands it claims in the South China Sea, prompting Beijing furiously to denounce what it called a threat to its sovereignty.
China's defence ministry said a destroyer-class ship and another vessel were dispatched to "warn" the US vessel, which Beijing said it had "shadowed".
Key points:
- US ambassador Max Baucus summoned
- Chinese destroyer-class ship and another vessel sent to "warn" US
- China says US actions have "damaged trust"
China's vice foreign minister Zhang Yesui called the US patrol "extremely irresponsible" and summoned US ambassador Max Baucus in response, state television said.
The USS Lassen passed within 12 nautical miles - the normal limit of territorial waters around natural land - of at least one of the formations the rising Asian power is building in disputed waters.
Washington's long-awaited move appeared to escalate tensions over the strategically vital waters, where Beijing has rapidly transformed reefs and outcrops into artificial islands with potential military use.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang also blasted the exercise, saying the ship had "illegally entered" the waters near the islands "without receiving permission from the Chinese government".
Beijing "resolutely opposes any country using freedom of navigation and overflight as a pretext for harming China's national sovereignty and security interests", he said.
He added it would "staunchly defend its territorial sovereignty".
An American official said the US action was part of its "routine operations in the Sea in accordance with international law".
Before and after: South China Sea
See how China is converting reefs to military facilities by building artificial islands in the South China Sea.
"We will fly, sail, and operate anywhere in the world that international law allows," the official said.
China claims sovereignty over almost the whole of the South China Sea, raising concerns it could one day dictate who may transit its busy sea lanes.
Several neighbouring countries including the Philippines, a US ally, have competing claims and the dispute has raised fears of clashes in an area through which a third of the world's oil passes.
On Tuesday, Defence experts said they believed Australia would face growing pressure to join the US-led maritime patrols in the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment