China claimed Monday that a San Diego-based warship “illegally” entered waters near a submerged reef far from the Chinese mainland that is claimed by the Philippines.
The littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords passed near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
A Philippine warship that was deliberately run aground in the reef serves as a military outpost and has been repeatedly harassed by Chinese vessels.
“The U.S. infringes China’s sovereignty and safety, disrupts regional peace and stability and violates international law and the basic norms of international relations,” the Chinese navy said in a statement.
The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet said the Gabrielle Giffords “was conducting routine operations in international waters in the South China Sea, consistent with international law.”
China claims virtually all of the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, despite a United Nations ruling that those claims have no legal basis. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also have various territorial claims in the region, leading to multiple disputes.
U.S. warships ships routinely sail through the area to enforce international access.
