China says tracked US Navy ship in Escoda Shoal

BEIJING, China — China’s military said Tuesday it had sent forces to “track and monitor” a U.S. Navy vessel that sailed through disputed waters in the West Philippine Sea.

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said the USS Charleston, a littoral combat ship, had “illegally intruded into waters adjacent to Xianbin Jiao,” China’s name for the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the Spratly Islands.

The PLA’s Southern Theater Command said in a statement on social media that it had “dispatched forces to track and monitor the U.S. vessel in accordance with laws and regulations.”

It also accused the U.S. Navy of infringing on China’s sovereignty and warned American forces to “immediately cease such activities.”

READ: No China warships monitored in West Philippine Sea from Aug. 18-24

Washington is a close ally of Manila, and U.S. forces regularly operate in the disputed waters.

The Philippines on Tuesday rejected Beijing’s claim that the U.S. Navy ship had trespassed into Chinese territory.

“No single nation has the authority to require prior permission for lawful transit through international waters,” Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad told reporters.

Earlier Tuesday, he warned China to stop “coercive and aggressive actions” without explicitly confirming the USS Charleston’s whereabouts.

The U.S. Pacific Command did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. /das

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