China on Tuesday hit on U.S. aircraft carrier strike group as the latter began patrols in the contested South China Sea. Beijing says it opposed action by other countries under the pretext of freedom of navigation that undermined its sovereignty.
“China always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight all countries enjoy under international law,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily news briefing.
“But we are consistently opposed to relevant countries threatening and damaging the sovereignty and security of littoral countries under the flag of freedom of navigation and overflight,” Geng said in China’s first official comment on the latest U.S. patrol since it began.
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