China Sends Forces To Monitor U.S. Vessel As South China Sea Tensions Rise

China has accused the U.S. of impinging on its sovereignty after an American ship sailed into waters near the Sabina Shoal in the Spratly Islands.

Reuters reported that China claimed the U.S. vessel "illegally intruded" into the area.

"The US action infringes upon China's sovereign rights and interests, jeopardizes ⁠maritime security, and is detrimental to regional peace and stability," it said in a statement. "The US side should immediately cease such activities."

The outlet went on to note that China sent forces to track the ship and monitor its activities. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between China, the U.S., and other nations in the region in the South China Sea.

China has viewed the South China Sea as part of its territory, but there are overlapping claims with several countries including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Recent tensions have tended to focus on disputes between the Philippines and China. The Voice of America reported that the Philippines summoned China's ambassador after comments that suggested China could easily defeat the Philippines should armed conflict arise between the two nations.

On Monday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro called the comments "provocative and unacceptable."

The flare-up occurred after China's ambassador Jing Quan told reporters that "if we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not choose force and we love peace," the Voice of America reported.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. responded that Quan's comments sounded "very much like a threat."

The outlet noted that many of China's claims to the South China Sea were rejected by an international arbitration tribunal in 2016. The body also found that China had violated Philippines' sovereign rights. China did not accept the ruling.