China Fires Carrier Killer Missiles into South China Sea

China Says It Forced U.S. Navy Away from Disputed Islands In South China Sea as Tensions Rise

The Chinese military said it forced a U.S. warship away from disputed islands in the South China Sea, where both sides have defied military warnings to stay out of sensitive areas amid heightened military tensions between the two powers.

Senior Colonel Li Huamin, spokesperson for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, announced Thursday that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin had "trespassed into the Chinese territorial waters" off the Paracel Islands, known as Xisha to China and as Hoang Sa to Vietnam, which also claims sovereignty over them. In response to the U.S. movement, Colonel Li said China summoned a combined sea and air force that "warned it away"...

But the U.S. disregards this narrative. U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson Navy Lieutenant James Adams told Newsweek that the USS Mustin "asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the vicinity of the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law..."