US destroyer off China: PLA fleet “drives” American ship – media

The American destroyer USS Milius entered the South China Sea, after which Chinese naval and air forces began to pursue the US military ship. As a result, the Chinese edition of the Global Times reported that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “expelled” the US Navy destroyer from territorial waters following warnings.

It was reported that the incident occurred on March 23 in Chinese territorial waters. It is alleged that the American destroyer has invaded Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea, and China is trying to destabilize the situation in the region by violating its maritime borders.

“Without the permission of the Chinese government, the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius entered Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands on Thursday illegally, sabotaging peace and stability in the South China Sea,” said Colonel Tian Junli, spokesman for the PLA command.

The publication writes that the Chinese military has shown its readiness to “resist provocations”, including by the United States.

Pentagon’s response

Meanwhile, the United States has denied Chinese allegations that the US destroyer USS Milius was forced out of waters around the disputed Paracel Islands after it “illegally” entered the South China Sea.

“USS Milius is conducting routine operations in the South China Sea and has not been deported. The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” the US Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement.

It was previously reported that the Canadian army found and seized spy buoys believed to belong to China. According to Popular Mechanics, the buoys are equipped with devices that record underwater sounds, with which the Chinese can track the movement of American submarines.