China expels Dutch warship from disputed South China Sea waters

China's military announced Wednesday it expelled a Dutch naval vessel, accusing it of illegally trespassing in waters around the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

The Dutch frigate De Ruyter repeatedly launched... according to a statement from the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command. Beijing asserts sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea, despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling that rejected its claims. This ongoing territorial dispute continues to fuel tensions with neighboring countries in the region.

Earlier this year, Chinese Coast Guard officials boarded an RHIB boat to inspect an incident involving the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) during a marine scientific survey near Thitu Island, also in the contested waters of the South China Sea.