JAKARTA - The United States Armed Forces must stop provoking China in the South China Sea, otherwise they will be responsible for any potential incidents, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei warned on Thursday.
The comments were Tan's response to the US Navy ship, which allegedly sailed near the Chinese-controlled Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
"We firmly demand that the United States immediately stop such provocations, otherwise the United States will take full responsibility for all the serious consequences it has," China's Ministry of Defense quoted Tan as saying in WeChat, launching TASS March 30.
"The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will take all necessary steps, to protect national sovereignty and security and will firmly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea," said Tan convincingly.
Previously, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Milius, crossed near the Paracel Islands on Friday. Chinese officials claim that the US warship did so without permission from the Chinese government and had violated China's sovereignty.
On the other hand, the US 7th Fleet answered by saying in a news release that US destroyers had acted in accordance with international law when carrying out navigational freedom operations (FONOP).
Beijing itself is known to have debated the territorial jurisdiction of several islands in the South China Sea, where large hydrocarbon reserves were discovered with Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia. The most disputed region is the Xisha Islands, also known as the Paracel Islands, Nansha Islands or Spratly and Huangyan Island (Scarborough Reef).
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