BEIJING, Feb.5 -- "On February 5, the US guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain trespassed into the waters adjacent to China's Xisha Islands without Chinese Government’s permission, and the naval and aerial forces of the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command conducted whole-process tracking and monitoring on the US destroyer and warned it off,” said Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, Spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command, in a written statement on Friday.
The spokesperson pointed out that the US move is a repeat of its old trick to manipulate the cross-Strait situation in mixed ways, which has seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, gravely undermined regional peace and stability, and deliberately disrupted the good atmosphere of peace, friendship and cooperation in the South China Sea.
Snr. Col. Tian Junli stressed that China has indisputable sovereignty over the islands in the South China Sea and their adjacent waters, and the troops of the PLA Southern Theater Command will always stay on high alert, firmly perform their duties and missions to safeguard China’s sovereignty and security and protect peace and stability in the South China Sea.