In the state Department believe that the United States acted within international law when the destroyer USS Stethem entered the waters of disputed Islands, Xisha (Paracel Islands) in the South China sea. This representative of the American foreign Ministry told the RIA Novosti news Agency.
In depodesta stressed that the United States operate every day in the Asia-Pacific region. “All operations are conducted in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, swim, and operate wherever it is permitted by international law”, — said the representative of the state Department.
The official representative of the Pacific fleet of the U.S. Navy also said the Agency TASS about the “regular operations to ensure freedom of navigation, which shall not make any political statement and not directed against any country.”
Earlier, the Chinese foreign Ministry expressed protest in connection with the visit of ships of the U.S. Navy in the waters of the Islands, which China claims as its. In Beijing said that the actions of the USS are serious political and military provocation, adding that “the United States, hiding behind the banner of “freedom of navigation”, once again sent a military ship that illegally entered the waters of the Chinese Xisha Islands, violating China’s laws and relevant rules of international law, grossly violating China’s sovereignty, undermining peace, security and order in these waters.”