China says it drove away Dutch warship near disputed Paracel Islands

China's military announced Wednesday that it had expelled a Dutch warship from waters near the disputed Paracel Islands, employing measures including electronic interference. The People's Liberation Army's Southern Theatre Command, responsible for the South China Sea, stated the Dutch frigate De Ruyter "illegally intruded into China’s Xisha Islands" and that its helicopter repeatedly entered Chinese airspace.

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illegally intruded into China’s Xisha Islands

The Paracel Islands, known as Xisha in China and Hoang Sa in Vietnam, are located approximately 300 kilometers from China's Hainan province. The Southern Theatre Command spokesman, Zhai Shichen, reported that naval and air forces were mobilized to issue verbal warnings and employ electronic interference to force the ship's departure.

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organised naval and air forces and took necessary measures including verbal warnings and warning electronic interference to expel the ship

Zhai condemned the Dutch navy's actions as a severe infringement on China's territorial sovereignty and security. He asserted that the actions violated international law and basic norms of international relations, thereby undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea. In a rare statement, Zhai characterized the Dutch frigate's conduct as "extremely liable to trigger misunderstanding and miscalculation."

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seriously infringing on China’s territorial sovereignty and the security of its sea and airspace, seriously violating international law and basic norms of international relations, and seriously undermining peace and stability in the South China Sea