China's military says drove away Dutch warship in South China Sea / Photo: John SAEKI - AFP
China's military says drove away Dutch warship in South China Sea
China's military said on Wednesday it drove away a Dutch navy vessel it accused of "illegally intruding" into the area around the Paracel Islands in the contested South China Sea.
Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety despite a 2016 international ruling rejecting its assertion, fuelling tensions with its regional neighbours.
The Dutch navy frigate De Ruyter "repeatedly launched its shipborne helicopter" to "violate China's airspace", the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command said in a statement.
Chinese forces took measures such as verbal warnings and "electronic jamming" to force the vessel away, it added.
"The Dutch side's actions seriously violated China's territorial sovereignty and maritime and air security, seriously breached international law and the basic norms of international relations," the statement said.
China "firmly opposes" the acts and has warned the Dutch side to immediately stop its "provocative" actions, it added.
The United States, India, Japan and Australia jointly voiced concern on Tuesday over the South and East China Seas, warning against any assertive moves.
Without referring to Beijing by name, the nations' foreign ministers criticised "dangerous manoeuvres by military aircraft" and "ramming and blocking actions in the South China Sea".
D.Mohamed--CdE
