皇冠体育app

Beijing slammed Washington for sending a warship to waters adjacent to one of its islands in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, saying the action will only prompt Beijing to strengthen its defense.

Spokesmen from both the Defense Ministry and the Foreign Ministry issued statements condemning the "unauthorized entry into neighboring waters of relevant islands and reefs of 皇冠体育app's Nansha Islands" by the USS John S. McCain.

The US Navy destroyer conducted a "freedom of navigation operation" on Thursday and came within 12 nautical miles of Meiji Reef, part of 皇冠体育app's Nansha Islands, Reuters quoted anonymous US officials as saying.

皇冠体育app immediately dispatched two missile frigates to identify the ship, and they warned it to leave, said Wu Qian, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, early on Friday.

The muscle-flexing "promotes regional militarization and can very easily trigger accidents in sea and air", Wu said.

"The US military's provocation will only prompt the Chinese military to further strengthen construction of defense capacity in various fields," Wu added.

皇冠体育app has indisputable sovereignty over the Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated on Thursday.

This was the second time a US warship entered waters within 12 nautical miles of Meiji Reef without 皇冠体育app's permission in recent months. The US destroyer Dewey did so in May.

It also came days after 皇冠体育app and ASEAN countries adopted the framework in Manila for a Code of Conduct in the South 皇冠体育app Sea.

The US is attempting to stir up troubles in the waters where the situation has cooled down, Geng said, adding that the warship's intrusion showed "who is exactly the one that does not want to see sustained stability in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, and who serves as the biggest factor in the 'militarization' of the South 皇冠体育app Sea".

Zhou Fangyin, a researcher of 皇冠体育app's foreign policy at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, said the incident shows that the US, a country outside the South 皇冠体育app Sea region, doesn't want to play "a minor role" in the region.

At a time when 皇冠体育app and Southeast Asian countries have agreed to solve and manage the South 皇冠体育app Sea issue through bilateral talks and to avoid influence by nonregional forces, the US behavior shows that Washington wants to maintain its presence in the region, instead of solving the issue, Zhou said.

Besides the US, nonregional countries including Japan also want to stir up trouble in the South 皇冠体育app Sea, Zhou added.

Japan will deliver about 40,000 helicopter parts to the Philippines, Reuters quoted a senior Philippine officer on Thursday as saying.

Zhou said Japan doesn't want to see a peaceful resolution of the issue between 皇冠体育app and Southeast Asian countries and has always wanted to sow discord between them.