United States Navy regularly appear in the South China Sea. Under the pretext of freedom of navigation, they violate basic international norms, threaten the sovereignty of the PRC and damage the stability in the region. This statement was made by the official representative of the Foreign Ministry of China, Hua Chuying. Beijing is not satisfied with this behavior of Washington. The country demands from the Pentagon to immediately stop the "provocative actions".

The army of the PRC is ready to take all necessary actions to protect national sovereignty and security, the foreign ministry of the country said, RIA Novosti reports.. The incident, which caused outrage of Chinese diplomats, occurred on Sunday, September 30. According to the American side, the US Navy warship "performed an operation to ensure freedom of navigation" near the disputed islands in the South China Sea, when a Chinese destroyer passed at an unsafe distance. Beijing had its own view on this situation: the American destroyer voluntarily entered the water area, after which the Chinese ship inspected the vessel and warned him to immediately leave the waters.. For several decades, China, Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and other countries in the region have been arguing over maritime boundaries and areas of responsibility in the South China and East China Seas.. In 2016.

arbitration court in The Hague sided with the Philippines, recognizing that China has no grounds for territorial claims in the South China Sea. According to the court’s decision, the disputed territories of the Spratly (Nansha) Archipelago are not islands and do not form an exclusive economic zone.. Beijing did not recognize this decision and continued to protect the water area by military courts.. Conflicts between Beijing and Washington arise not only at sea, but also in the air..

Last week, the American B-52 made a series of flights over the waters of the South China and East China Sea. The Pentagon declared its right to such flights, while the PRC leadership demanded that such provocations be stopped immediately.. Earlier, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a tough statement that the US military presence in the region was intended to force Beijing to abandon its claims on the territory of the South China Sea..

However, such steps, he said, will not prevent China from defending its possessions..