Key facts
- China's military monitored a US warship near Sabina Shoal.
- The US vessel entered the waters without Chinese government approval.
- China views the South China Sea as its territory despite overlapping claims.
China's military reported on Tuesday that it had dispatched forces to monitor a US warship that "illegally" entered waters near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. The Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command stated that the US action infringes upon China's sovereign rights and interests, jeopardizes maritime security, and is detrimental to regional peace and stability. China claims almost all of the South China Sea as its territory, despite overlapping claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.