BEIJING, Oct. 9 -- China urges the United States to immediately stop provocations, strictly manage and control its maritime and air military operations so as to avoid any eventuality, said Senior Colonel Zhang Nandong, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), in a written statement on Friday.
According to the spokesperson, the US guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain trespassed into Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands without permission of Chinese Government on October 9.
In response, the PLA Southern Theater Command sent naval and air forces to conduct whole-process tracking, monitoring and verification on the US warship and warned it away, Snr. Col. Zhang said.
The US side has repeatedly sent warships to the South China Sea to make a show of force and strengthen its military presence there, said Zhang. He pointed out that this blatant navigation hegemony and military provocation has seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security interests, and gravely jeopardized peace and stability in the South China Sea.
“We urges the US side to immediately stop such kind of provocative actions, strictly manage and control its maritime and air military operations so as not to cause any eventuality”, Zhang stated.
The spokesperson stressed that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters, and the troops of the PLA Southern Theater Command will always stay on high alert and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty and security and protect peace and stability in the South China Sea.