Beijing expels US warship from 'Chinese territorial waters'

ISTANBUL/ANKARA

Beijing said on Wednesday that it expelled US warships from “Chinese territorial waters” in the disputed South China Sea.

The USS Higgins destroyer illegally intruded into the territorial waters of Huangyan Island without authorization from the Chinese government, Senior Capt. He Tiecheng, spokesperson for the navy of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, said in a statement.

Huangyan Island is also known as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

He said the PLA Navy deployed forces to track, monitor, warn, and expel the destroyer in accordance with laws and regulations.

"The US military's actions seriously infringe upon China's sovereignty and security, severely undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea, and violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations," he said.

He said naval forces of the PLA Southern Theater Command remain on high alert at all times, resolutely defending national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it detected 14 PLA aircraft and six navy vessels around the island nation on Wednesday.

Separately, the Philippines' Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday that a Chinese aircraft intercepted one of its aircraft patrolling over the Huangyan Island, two days after two Chinese vessels collided with each other near the island.

“A significant safety concern arose when the PCG Caravan aircraft was dangerously intercepted by a People's Republic of China (PRC) J-15 fighter aircraft,” Jay Tarriela, spokesman for the PCG, said in a statement released from the US social media company X.

“The military aircraft unsafely tracked the PCG Caravan aircraft for over 20 minutes, maintaining a lateral distance of only 500 feet and passing directly overhead at just 200 feet,” he added.

On Monday, PCG had said that two Chinese vessels collided while chasing one of its vessels, causing “substantial damage” to one of the Chinese ships.

China and the Philippines have competing claims in the vast disputed waters of the South China Sea, and the two have engaged in sea and air encounters several times in recent years.

Beijing has also pushed back what it calls infringement of its airspace and maritime waters by the US and its allies, while the latter claims it flies and sails its military assets in international airspace and waters.