China drives away US destroyer sailing near disputed isles

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
13 Jul 2022 11:48
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China views the sailing of the USS Benfold off the disputed Xisha Islands as a violation of international law, to which it responded accordingly.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold conducts operations in the South China Sea.

A spokesperson for the Chinese military said that the USS Benfold entered Chinese waters off the disputed Xisha Islands, also known as the Paracel Islands, in the South China Sea without Beijing's permission, undermining regional peace and stability once again.

Beijing added that its military had "driven away" the ship after it illegally entered territorial waters.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army Chinese Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli said: "On January 13, the US guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold trespassed into China's territorial waters off Xisha Islands without the Chinese government's permission.”

The US military actions have seriously violated China's national sovereignty and security, undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea, and violated international law, according to the spokesperson.

Tian believes that the US move demonstrates Washington's desire to militarize the South China Sea.

"Facts have fully proven that the US is nothing but a 'trouble-maker' and the 'biggest destroyer' of the peace and stability in the South China Sea," the statement added.

The passage of US warships, which Beijing claims violate international law and undermine China's sovereignty and security, frequently complicates the situation in the sea region.

Meanwhile, Washington has constantly reiterated that the US forces will continue to operate wherever international law permits, most notably in the South China Sea.

AUKUS and the South China Sea

On 15 September 2021, the US, UK, and Australia formed a defense alliance, AUKUS, to boost the latter's nuclear capabilities and "strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region."

At the time, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the AUKUS agreement between the three countries poses a danger to regional peace, stability, and international order.

The United Kingdom in October announced its decision to increase military deployment in the South China Sea.

China expressed its grave concern, saying that "this move will escalate regional tensions, provoke an arms race, threaten regional peace and stability, and undermine international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons."