China said on Monday that a US Navy ship had illegally entered waters adjacent to Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea that has seen several recent maritime clashes.
A spokesperson for China’s Southern Theater of Operations said in a statement:
“The US seriously undermined regional peace and stability.”
China is engaged in disputes with several neighbouring states over extensive claims to territorial waters in the South China Sea. The US Navy said the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords was conducting routine operations in international waters in the South China Sea and did not violate any international law. The US Navy said in a statement:
“Every day the US 7th Fleet operates in the South China Sea, as they have for decades. These operations demonstrate we are committed to upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
China has clashed with Philippine vessels several times in recent months and has protested against US ships patrolling disputed territories. The Chinese military reports that the US ship entered waters adjacent to what China calls Renai Reef, also known as Second Thomas Bank, part of the Spratly Islands. The Second Thomas Bank is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, according to a 2016 ruling by a UN tribunal.
A Chinese military spokesman said the US ship was being monitored and that “China’s troops in theatre are on high alert to resolutely defend national sovereignty.” The US Navy responded:
“We will not be deterred from continuing to work alongside our allies and partners in support of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
On Sunday, the Philippine Coast Guard noticed an “alarming” increase in the number of Chinese maritime militia vessels near a reef in the country’s exclusive economic zone and sent two of its ships to the South China Sea.
The Second Thomas Shoal is the site of recent tense encounters between Chinese and Philippine vessels over a World War II-era ship that Manila placed in the shoal more than two decades ago. The Philippine Coast Guard said on Sunday it had observed more than 135 Chinese “maritime militia” vessels near Whitsun Reef, which is west of Second Thomas Bank.
