China warns US against challenging its actions in South China Sea

World Today

China is accusing the U.S. of seeking maritime dominance in the name of freedom of navigation. The criticism comes after an incident this weekend where a U.S. Navy destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of a disputed island in the South China Sea.

CCTV America’s Sean Callebs reports from Washington.

Just this past week the US Secretary of State John Kerry was in China in an effort to defuse tensions in the region, clearly having little success.
China maintains most countries oppose U.S. actions in the region, adding that developing nations strongly disagree with this latest display of military might.

The United States is flexing its military muscle, sending a warship to the South China Sea over the weekend. The U.S. Navy destroyer came within a dozen miles of an island that China has claimed.
This is the second time in four months an American Navy ship ventured into what China calls its territorial waters. China’s reaction was quick, calling the U.S. action “very dangerous and irresponsible.”

An estimated 5-trillion dollars worth of trade flows through the area each year. And while there are competing claims for regions of the South China by a number of nations, China claims a great deal of the area.
Leaders in Beijing say free and unfettered transport has never been an issue.

In a sign of heightened tension, the People’s Liberation Army activated a garrison on the island in the South China Sea on Saturday. Chinese leaders say the United States is sending its navy vessels into the area in an effort to create dominance in the region.