Beijing accused the US Navy of violating the boundaries of territorial waters

China accused the United States of violating the boundaries of its territorial waters due to the appearance of two US Navy ships off the coast of the disputed Parasel Islands in the South China Sea, Reuters reports .

The maneuvers of the American fleet "contradicted Chinese and international law, seriously encroached on Chinese sovereignty and damaged the strategic trust between the armed forces of the two countries," the China Ministry of Defense said.

In turn, in the Chinese Foreign Ministry promised to "continue to take all the necessary measures to protect the sovereignty and security of the country."

On Friday, two ships of the third (Pacific) fleet of the US Navy - a squadron destroyer Higgins and Antietam missile cruiser - entered the 12 -miral (about 19 kilometers) coastal zone near the Parasel Islands in the South China Sea. China has been controlling the archipelago since 1974, but Taiwan and Vietnam also claim claims to the islands.

The Chinese military department said that they sent their ships to meet American ships in order to warn about the need to leave the water, which the PRC considers his own.

Washington regularly holds the maneuvers of warships near the Parasel Islands, explaining this by the need to protect the freedom of shipping. The command of the Pacific Fleet promised to continue them in the future.