China, US argue over naval activity in South China Sea

BEIJING (AP) — China has issued its second protest in as many days over United States naval activity in the region, drawing an unusually sharp response from the U.S. 7th Fleet. It accused Beijing of attempting to assert illegitimate maritime rights at the expense of its neighbors and denied claims by the Chinese military that it expelled the USS Curtis Wilbur when it sailed close to the Paracel island group in the South China Sea on Thursday. The Paracels are also claimed by Vietnam. China accused the U.S. of acting unprofessional and irresponsible. China has fortified its island holdings in the South China Sea and ignored rival territorial claims by its smaller neighbors, as well as an international arbitral ruling that declared most of China’s claims invalid.