Chinese navy says US warship entry near Sabina Shoal threatens security
China's Southern Theater Command Navy accused a US littoral combat ship of illegally entering waters near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands, saying it jeopardised maritime security. Beijing said it tracked the USS Charleston and condemned the move as infringing sovereignty and harming regional sta
China's Southern Theater Command Navy on Tuesday accused a US littoral combat ship of jeopardising maritime security by "illegally" entering waters near Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands, which Beijing refers to as Xianbin Jiao in the Nansha Qundao, without prior approval.
The Chinese navy said it dispatched forces to track and monitor the USS Charleston, adding that the US action not only infringes on China's sovereign rights but was also detrimental to regional peace and stability.
China and the Philippines, which shares a mutual defence treaty with the United States, both claim sovereignty over Sabina Shoal and the wider Spratly Islands archipelago.
The US Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.