BEIJING, March 24 -- "The US guided-missile destroyer USS Milius illegally entered the territorial waters off China's Xisha Islands once again without Chinese government's permission on March 24, undermining the peace and stability in the South China Sea. The troops of the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command conducted tracking and monitoring in accordance with the law, and warned it off," said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), in a written statement on Friday.
Tan remarked that such move of the US military has gravely violated China's sovereignty and security, as well as the international law, which is another irrefutable proof of its navigation hegemony and militarization of the South China Sea.
"We sternly demand the US side to immediately stop such provocative behaviors, otherwise it would take the serious consequences of every eventuality it caused", said the spokesperson, noting that the Chinese PLA will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security, as well as peace and stability in the South China Sea.
