Congress praises, China condemns U.S. ship in South China Sea

China acknowledged that the U.S. destroyer Lassen sailed by the Spratly Islands, a contested group of islands of which China has claimed ownership. Lu Kang, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the Chinese “monitored, followed and warned” the U.S. ship.

“Relevant actions by the U.S. naval vessel threatened China’s sovereignty and security interests, put the personnel and facilities on the islands and reefs at risk and endangered regional peace and stability,” Kang said in a statement. “The Chinese side hereby expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition.”

Kang said China will “firmly respond” to “deliberate provocations” in its sovereign waters and urged the U.S. to stop freedom-of-navigation missions in the region.

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea between China, the Philippines and Vietnam have raged in the region for years, sparking conflicts as China claims and constructs islands in the region that other countries say is their sovereign territory. While there is little on the islands, their location could pose some military value as China constructs air strips in the region.

Capt. Jeff Davis, Pentagon spokesman, said Monday that the U.S. will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.

“We’re not going to talk about future operations, but as you know we conduct freedom-of-navigation operations to challenge excessive maritime claims on a regular basis around the world,” Davis said.

He said the U.S. military operates “every single day” in the South China Sea to regularly challenge China’s land claims.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., commended the freedom-of-navigation operation and said they should continue consistently.

“This decision is long overdue. And I have been dismayed, though hardly surprised, as this administration’s apparent confusion and indecision has played out before the world over the last several months,” McCain said in a statement.