China slams US for 'illegally' entering waters near disputed Second Thomas Shoal

China on Monday (Dec 4) accused the United States of escalating tensions in the South China Sea after it claimed that an American combat ship "illegally" entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, which is a disputed atoll. 

Beijing also described the US as "the biggest threat to peace and stability" in the region. Notably, China refers to Second Thomas Shoal as Renai Reef and it is about 200 kilometres from the western Philippine island of Palawan. 

The disputed South China Sea atoll is more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan Island. 

In a statement, a spokesperson for China's Southern Theatre Command said: "The United States has deliberately disrupted the South China Sea, seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, severely undermined regional peace and stability, and seriously violated international law and basic norms governing international relations." 

Also read: China defence contractors register stellar profit for fourth consecutive year in a row: SIPRI 

Southern Theatre Command spokesman Tian Junli said: "On December 4, littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords illegally entered the waters adjacent to Ren'ai Reef in the Nansha region of China without the approval of the Chinese government." 

Tian further said that China's military on Monday "followed the entire operation" and also added that the "deliberate stirring up of the South China Sea by the United States is a serious infringement of China's sovereignty and security". 

"Troops in the theatre of command maintain a high state of alert at all times, resolutely defending national sovereignty and security," Tian added. 

As translated by the news agency Reuters, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said: "The Whitsun Reef is part of China's Nansha Islands, and the relevant waters in the South China Sea, including the Whitsun Reef and its neighbouring waters, have always been an important operating area and shelter for Chinese fishing vessels." 

"It is reasonable and lawful for Chinese fishing vessels to operate in and take shelter from the wind in those waters, the Philippines should not make irresponsible remarks about it," Wang added. 

Also read: Prominent jailed Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow moves to Canada, breaks silence after more than 2 years 

Watch: US Navy destroyer shoots down three drones in Red Sea that hit commercial ships by missiles & drones 

South China Sea conflict 

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea grab the attention of the world. It involves conflicting island and maritime claims in the region by several sovereign states, namely Brunei, China Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. 

Beijing has ignored a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that its claims to almost the entire sea have no legal basis. 

In recent years, China has ramped up patrols of the waters and reefs in the South China Sea and built artificial islands that it has militarised to reinforce its assertion. 

(With inputs from agencies)