《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》Beijing protests US warship sailing near Spratlys

/ AFP, BEIJING

China yesterday accused the US of trespassing after a US warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, the first such operation by US President Donald Trump’s administration in the disputed waterway.

The row comes during a period of warming relations between the nations, with Trump saying that Washington has dialed down pressure on Beijing over other issues in hopes of securing their cooperation on North Korea.

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The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey entered the area “without permission from the Chinese government,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang （陸慷） told reporters at a regular news conference, adding that the ship had “trespassed in the waters near the relevant islands and reefs.”

“The relevant action taken by the US vessel undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests, and is very likely to cause unexpected sea and air accidents,” he said, urging Washington to stop “provocative actions.”

A pair of Chinese Navy frigates had warned off the US ship after it entered the area without China’s permission, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesman Ren Guoqiang （任國強） told reporters at a monthly news conference.

“We urge the US side to take concrete efforts to correct its wrongdoings and add more positive energy to the military-to-military relationship,” Ren said.

He added that the US actions would “only motivate the Chinese military to enhance its capacity.”

The USS Dewey sailed less than 12 nautical miles （22.2km） from Mischief Reef （Meiji Reef, 美濟礁） — part of the Spratly Islands （Nansha Islands, 南沙群島）, which Taiwan also claims — yesterday morning, a US official said earlier, the first freedom of navigation operation under Trump.

The UN says nations can establish the breadth of their territorial sea up to a limit of 12 nautical miles.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite counter-claims from Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

It has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

The US has challenged annexations of the islets and advocated for a diplomatic settlement to the disputes.

US forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis and will fly and sail “wherever international law” allows, Pentagon spokesman Major Jamie Davis said earlier in the day.

“We have a comprehensive Freedom of Navigation Operations program that seeks to challenge excessive maritime claims in order to preserve the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law,” Davis said in a statement.

The exercises are “not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements,” he added.

Washington has long argued that Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea threaten freedom of navigation and overflight through the strategically vital waters.

Additional reporting by AP

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES