Afghanistan, Oct. 20 -- China's military said Tuesday it had deployed naval forces to monitor a US warship near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, escalating tensions over maritime claims.
The People's Liberation Army's Southern Theater Command said the USS Charleston had "illegally intruded" into waters adjacent to Sabina Shoal, known in the Philippines as Escoda Shoal, in the Spratly Islands without Beijing's approval.
The command said the US vessel's actions infringed China's claimed sovereign rights, threatened maritime security and undermined regional peace and stability. It called on Washington to stop such activities.
China said its navy had dispatched forces to track and monitor the warship. The US Navy had not immediately ...