China again put the United States on notice on Friday, warning the Pentagon to "halt provocations" in the South China Sea.
This after the latest incident involving the US destroyer John McCain sailing near the disputed Paracel Islands administered and militarized by China.
A PLA military spokesperson denounced the sail-by, saying Washington must seek permission to navigate the area. “We demand the US immediately stop such provocative actions, (and) strictly control and restrict military operations in the sea and air,” the spokesperson said.
This constitutes the latest notable incident after last summer there was a major uptick in US military flights over the region, however, during the past month there seems to have been fewer of these provocative sail-throughs.
Prior angry denunciations from Beijing related to American spy aircraft observed in the region, sometimes even shielding any identifying characteristics to appear like civilian aviation, which the PLA has said is dangerous given the possibility of 'mistaken' incidents.
The Chinese military has repeatedly charged that the US Navy has 'frequently' deployed warships in the South China Sea to "show off its force and severely infringe upon China's sovereignty and security interests," according to a quote in The Daily Mail.
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