The incident occurred within 12 nautical miles from Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. The island itself is an uncertain disputed land between the PRC and the Philippines, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry promised to take the necessary measures to ensure national security of the country.
The official notification of the Chinese Foreign Ministry says that the presence of the US Navy in south-east Asia significantly undermines peace and stability in a troubled region, and also affects the relations between Washington and Beijing.
It is noteworthy that the destroyer USS Hopper is part of the 31st squadron of destroyers of the Pacific Fleet of the United States. Onboard the ship there are heavy attack weapons, deep-sea bombs and medium-range missiles.
As reported in "URA-Inform," Washington and Beijing recently agreed to start the process of sharing intelligence information about North Korea.