China says it warned away US warship in South China Sea
China's military says it tracked and warned away a United States warship that had illegally entered waters it claims in the South China Sea.
The US Navy denied China's claims, stating that the ship was on a routine operation and left the area of its own accord.
In a statement on Thursday, the Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said the USS Milius, a guided missile destroyer, intruded into waters around the disputed Paracel Islands.
The People's Liberation Army 'organised sea and air forces to track and monitor [the ship] in accordance with the law' and warned it to leave, spokesman for the Southern Theatre Command Tian Junli said.
The US vessel 'made an illegal incursion into Chinese territorial waters … without permission from the Chinese government, harming peace and stability' in the region, he said.
The US Navy on Thursday disputed the People's Liberation Army statement, saying the destroyer was conducting 'routine operations' in the South China Sea and was not expelled by Chinese ships.
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