BEIJING, May 27 (Reuters) – China’s military said it organised naval and air forces to drive away Dutch frigate De Ruyter, which it accused of illegally intruding into the Paracel Islands in the disputed South China Sea on Wednesday.
Carrier-based helicopters have repeatedly taken off and “intruded into China’s airspace,” Zhai Shichen, a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, said in a statement.
“We firmly oppose this and solemnly urge the Dutch side to immediately cease its infringing and provocative acts,” Zhai said, adding the Chinese military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security.
The Chinese claim marks a relatively unusual public confrontation with the Netherlands in the South China Sea.
The Dutch defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts also claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
In 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s claims were not supported by international law, a decision that Beijing rejects.
(Reporting by Yukun Zhang, Shi Bu and Ryan Woo; Additional reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout in Amsterdam; Editing by Toby Chopra, Aidan Lewis)
