China military ‘drove away’ US warship in South China Sea

US move comes on the anniversary of a tribunal ruling that says Beijing has no claims over the South China Sea.

China’s military said it “drove away” a United States warship that it said illegally entered Chinese waters near the disputed Paracel Islands on Monday, the anniversary of a landmark international court ruling that Beijing has no claim over the South China Sea. The USS Benfold entered the waters of the Paracels without the approval of the Chinese government, seriously violating China’s sovereignty and undermining the stability of the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command said. “We urge the United States to immediately stop such provocative actions,” the Southern Theater Command said in a statement.