Ship ‘was not ordered’ to leave waters, says US Navy

The US denied Chinese claims that one of its destroyers had been driven from waters around the contested Paracel Islands after it “illegally” entered the area in the South China Sea.

The Chinese military said last Thursday that the guided-missile destroyer USS Milius had illegally intruded into China’s territorial waters, without the approval of the government, undermining peace and stability in the busy waterway.

The US Navy, however, declared this to be false. “The USS Milius is conducting routine operations in the South China Sea and was not expelled. The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows,” a statement from the 7th Fleet said.

The Paracel Islands are a disputed archipelago that spreads across about 7 sq km in the South China Sea. China has de facto control of the islands and has built installations and outposts, but Taiwan and Vietnam also claim ownership of the territory.