China has accused the United States of sending a warship without permission into what it said was its territorial waters in the disputed South China Sea, adding that it would take "necessary measures" to "safeguard its sovereignty."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the U.S. Navy's USS Hopper guided-missile destroyer had sailed within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of what is known as Scarborough Shoal, a group of disputed islets that Beijing calls Huangyan Island, on Wednesday night.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said that the Chinese Navy had identified the U.S. vessel and warned it to leave, according to a statement posted to the ministry's website.