Beijing "made an introduction" to Washington about the landing of the US destroyer Chafee in the water area of ​​the island of Sischa in the South China Sea.

China regards this island as its own and protests against the fact that an American warship operated without the permission of the PRC authorities. According to the agency France Press, China immediately sent military ships and aircraft to identify the American ship and demanded that he leave the coastal waters.

"The American vessel's actions are a violation of Chinese and international laws, as well as the undermining of China's sovereignty," the ministry spokeswoman Hua Chuning announced. A spokesman for the US Department of Defense refused to confirm the incident, but said that all US Navy operations are conducted in accordance with international law and "demonstrate that the United States will fly, swim and operate wherever it is permitted under international law."

For the cadence of Donald Trump this is the fourth case of the "implementation of freedom of navigation" (FONOP) by the US Navy in the area. The US disputes China's claims to the South China Sea, where Beijing turned the reefs into militarized artificial islands. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim the territory of the Spratly Archipelago in this sea.