Beijing: China is angry that the US warship arrived near the Paracel Islands in the northern part of the South China Sea. The USS Benfold arrived in an area of regarding 100 coral reefs and islands.
China views any military intervention in the archipelago, which China invaded in 1955 and Vietnam claims as its own, as a provocation. China responded that the USS Benfold arrived here without the permission of the Chinese government.
The arrival of the warship was the latest incident in the South China Sea, which China claims fully. Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines also claim the region. The Philippines has filed a complaint in the International Court of Justice once morest China’s sovereignty in the sea.
