China on Tuesday accused a US naval vessel of undermining regional stability by entering waters near the South China Sea’s disputed Spratly Islands.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the USS Charleston “illegally intruded” into the waters around the Sabina Shoal “without approval”, said the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command Navy spokesman Yin Gang.
The Chinese navy monitored and followed the Charleston, Yin said.
China holds “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands and the US action was “detrimental to regional peace and stability”, he added, demanding Washington immediately cease such activities.