China’s Foreign Ministry has slammed a claim by the United States that one of its warships was harassed by China in the South China Sea, insisting that Beijing holds “indisputable sovereignty” over its islands and surrounding waters there.
“The allegation by the United States is nothing but making an unfounded counter-charge,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang during a Tuesday press briefing. “China has an indisputable sovereignty over its islands and the surrounding waters on the South China Sea.”
He further underlined Beijing’s right to self-defense and self-protection under international law and rejected Washington’s claims about Chinese aims to militarize the waters in the area.
“Like other countries, China is exercising its sovereignty and self-protection and self-defense to carry out activities for peaceful purposes, including necessary defense facilities, on its own territory. This has nothing to do…