China will not stand for violations of tis territorial waters in the name of freedom of navigation, said a Chinese spokesperson commenting on the South China Sea on Friday.
The statement came as the US plans to station ships less than 12 miles from a zone that China claims as its territory reports Reuters.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said,
“We will never allow any country to violate China’s territorial waters and airspace in the Spratly Islands, in the name of protecting freedom of navigation and overflight. We urge related parties not to take any provocative actions, and genuinely take a responsible stance on regional peace and stability.”
China’s most recent statement comes after the Chinese President Xi Jinpong met his US counterpart in Washington to finalise an agreement aimed at reducing the possibility of aerial clashes between the two nations.
In May this year, the Chinese navy issued eight warning to the crew of a US P8-A Poseidon surveillance aircraft that flew near China’s territorial Zone in the South China Sea.