China and U.S. play diplomatic naval battle in South China Sea

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Tensions between China and the United States continue. China claims that once again an American warship has crossed the sea border in the South China Sea. The United States denies it.

According to the Chinese Ministry of defense, the American warship USS Milius in the South China Sea illegally entered the territorial waters. That would have happened at the height of the Paracel Islands, called the Xisha islands in China. They are located southeast of the Chinese island of Hainan, between Vietnam and the Philippines.

China says that the military has tracked the destroyer with ships and aircraft and expelled it from its territorial waters with warnings:

“..we demand that the US immediately stop this kind of provocative actions, if not, it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen incidents.”

Soon, the U.S. Navy responded that the ship did not violate any maritime rules, that it was performing routine duties in the South China Sea, and that it was not being chased away.

The group of islets and coral reefs are claimed by China, but also by Vietnam and Taiwan. They all call for historical reasons. The United States has nothing to do with the dispute. But they are concerned about Chinese military activities in the South China Sea. In addition, the US has important allies in the region, such as the Philippines and Vietnam. There are busy shipping and very important economic trade routes.

Tensions between China and the US have increased due to several incidents. Two other U.S. warships have also conducted operations in the South China Sea in recent months. Last month, a decision by the Philippines added fuel to the fire. The US ally said it has built four more new military camps to House US troops.