Skip to main content
US warship accused of trespassing into South China Sea
US ships in the South China Sea

BEIJING warned the United States today that military threats would not succeed, as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army drove away a US battleship after it had entered Chinese-claimed waters.

The destroyer USS Benfold was accused of illegally trespassing into waters close to the Xisha (Paracel) Islands.

Beijing said the move “seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, damaged peace and stability in the South China Sea, and violated international law and international relations.”

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign a proclamation about the fishing industry, in the Oval Office of the White House, June 11, 2026, in Washington
US 2020 elections / 17 July 2026
17 July 2026
MUCH TO PONDER: President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on May 15 2026, at Beijing Capital International Airport - first from the left is China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Features / 21 May 2026
21 May 2026

JENNY CLEGG looks at the key points that defined the China-US relationship, for now

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul speaks to the media during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Ankara, Turkey, October 17, 2025
International Relations / 30 October 2025
30 October 2025

The cancelled China trip of the German Foreign Minister marks a break with Helmut Schmidt’s China policy and drives Germany further into Washington’s confrontation course, warns SEVIM DAGDELEN
 

HMS Spey in Brisbane, Australia ahead of the England v Nigeria Women's World Cup match. The arrival of the state-of-the-art Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS Spey marks the first visit of the Royal Navy to Brisbane since the HMS Monmouth in 1995. Picture date: Monday August 7th, 2023
Features / 15 August 2025
15 August 2025

From 35,000 troops in Talisman Sabre war games to HMS Spey provocations in the Taiwan Strait, Labour continues Tory militarisation — all while claiming to uphold ‘one China’ diplomatic agreements from 1972, reports KENNY COYLE