PLA expels U.S. destroyer from China's territorial waters near Huangyan Dao

BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's military has expelled the U.S. destroyer Higgins that illegally intruded into China's territorial waters near Huangyan Dao on Wednesday, according to a military spokesperson.

He Tiecheng, spokesperson for the navy of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said that the theater command organized forces to lawfully track, monitor, issue warnings, and expel the U.S. warship, which entered the territorial waters near Huangyan Dao without authorization from the Chinese government.

The U.S. actions severely violated China's sovereignty and security, undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea, and contravened international law and the basic norms governing international relations, He said.

He said that naval forces of the Southern Theater Command remain on high alert at all times to resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as peace and stability in the region.