Spokesperson of the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army Senior Colonel Li Huamin assured that they will stay on high alert and will take all necessary measures to ensure peace and stability to protect national sovereignty in the South China Sea.
Huamin made the comment after discovering two US ships–Preble and Chung Hoon–that illegaly entered the disputed sea. The ships traveled within 12 nautical miles on the Nancun and Chiugua reefs and were commanded to leave in accordance with the laws.
In a routine press conference on monday, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang expressed China’s dissatisfaction and obstruction to the US destroyers’ behavior and said that it violated China’s sovereignty, and even made distraction on regional peace and stability.
“The situation in the South China Sea is improving thanks to the efforts of China and ASEANcountries,” Geng said, encouraging US to stop doing such operations.
Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, added that these only shows how US ruins peace and stability that countries around South China Sea wants.
In april, countries like Vietnam, Malayisa, Brunei, and the Philippines sent their naval vessels to China to join the 70th anniversary celebration of the PLA Navy. After the celebration, China held a joint naval exercise with the Southeast Asian countries in Shandong Province.
