A United States Navy warship's passage through the contested South China Sea has stoked tensions between the US and China.
The guided-missile destroyer US warship sailed through international waters, angering China this weekImage: U.S. Navy/ZUMA Wire/ZUMAPRESS.com/picture alliance
China slams US warship passage as 'unprofessional'
The Chinese military's Southern Theater Command said the move "violated its sovereignty and undermined regional peace and stability."
The US action "artificially increases regional security risks, and is prone to misunderstandings, misjudgments, and accidents at sea," the statement said.
It called the ship's maneuvers "unprofessional and irresponsible."
Taiwan: China's next target? (part 1)
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It stated that Chinese ships and planes followed the US vessel.
It is the second time in two days that China has released a statement condemning the actions of the US warship.
US Navy followed international law
Meanwhile, the US Navy said on Thursday that the USS Curtis Wilbur "asserted navigational rights and freedoms" near the Paracel Islands. It said acted in accordance with international law.
"The United States military will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows," the Navy said in a statement.
The passage "demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific," it added.
South China Sea countries are building larger navies
Countries surrounding the South China Sea have been pumping more resources into their navies. China spends more than other regional nations combined, but smaller navies are still acquiring effective fleets.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Drake
Pride of the Chinese armada
The first Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was originally a Soviet model built in 1986. In 1998, the stripped hulk was sold to China by Ukraine and rebuilt by the Dailian Shipbuilding Industry Company in northeastern China. It was completed in 2012 and has been ready for service since 2016.
Image: imago/Xinhua
'Black holes' for Vietnam
In recent years, Vietnam has acquired six Russian Kilo-class submarines. Two were delivered in 2017. The subs are nicknamed "black holes" by the US Navy, because they run very quietly and are difficult to locate. They are specialized for missions in shallow waters and for defense against enemy ships and submarines.
Image: Vietnam News Agency/AFP/Getty Images
Flagship of the Philippines
The BRP Gregorio del Pilar is the flagship of the Philippine Navy. The vessel is one of three former US Coast Guard cutters that were acquired by the Philippines. The ship was first put in service in 1967 and it was modernized in 2011. In 2012, it was involved in the dispute with the People's Republic of China over Scarborough Shoal.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Favila
Warships from European shipyards
Indonesia is in the process of buying new ships and modernizing its navy. Pictured here is the KRI Sultan Hasanuddin, a Sigma-class corvette. The ship was built in 2007 in the Netherlands. Germany also supplies warships to countries in the region. The Kasturi-class corvettes in Malaysia and Brunei's Darussalam-class high-seas patrol boats come from German shipyards.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/A. Ibrahim
Singapore's stealth ships
Singapore is unmatched for hi-tech in the region. Since 2007, the city-state has put six Formidable-class stealth ships in service. All of them were built in France.
Image: Imago/China Foto Press
The long arm of the US Navy
The only truly global naval power remains the US Navy. The seventh fleet is stationed in the Pacific. It is the largest forward-deployed fleet of the US Navy with 50-60 ships, 350 aircraft and 60,000 personnel. This includes the only US aircraft carrier stationed outside of the US, the USS Ronald Regan, stationed at the US naval base in Yokosuka, Japan.
Image: AP
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Sailing by the Paracel Islands — a summary
China, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim sovereignty over the Paracel Islands.
All three require either permission or notification before a military vessel or warship engages in "innocent passage" through the territorial sea.
But under international law, all ships — including warships — can pass through the sea without getting permission or giving advanced notice.
As China claims self-governing Taiwan as its own territory, it views the US Navy's presence in the area as a show of support for the island's democratic government.
