China says US Navy ship violated its sovereignty
China's military on Monday said a U.S. Navy ship illegally entered waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed South China Sea atoll that has recently seen several maritime confrontations. - REUTERS
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00:00 Man our ship and bring her to life.
00:04 The USS Gabrielle Giffords, seen here in Texas in 2017,
00:09 is what the US Navy calls an independence-class
00:12 littoral combat ship, which means
00:15 it can operate closer to shorelines than other warships.
00:20 And on Monday, China's military claimed
00:22 the Gabrielle Giffords illegally entered waters
00:25 adjacent to a disputed South China Sea atoll that has
00:29 recently seen several maritime confrontations.
00:32 A Chinese spokesperson said, quote,
00:33 "The US seriously undermined regional peace and stability,"
00:37 adding that the US disrupted the South China Sea
00:40 and violated China's sovereignty.
00:43 China is in disputes with several of its neighbors
00:46 over its extensive claims of territorial waters
00:48 in the South China Sea.
00:50 The US Navy said the USS Gabrielle Giffords
00:52 was conducting routine operations
00:54 in international waters in the South China Sea,
00:57 consistent with international law.
01:00 The Chinese military spokesperson
01:01 said the US ship was monitored and followed.
01:05 The US Navy responded, quote, "We will not
01:06 be deterred from continuing to work alongside our allies
01:09 and partners in support of our shared vision
01:12 for a free and open Indo-Pacific."
01:16 In recent months, China has had several run-ins
01:18 with Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.
01:21 Over the weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard
01:23 shared this video it says shows hundreds
01:25 of Chinese maritime militia vessels
01:27 gathering near a reef within Manila's
01:30 exclusive economic zone.
01:31 A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday
01:34 called the Chinese vessels' behavior, quote,
01:35 "responsible and lawful," and castigated the Philippines
01:39 for what it said were, quote, "irresponsible remarks."