China says it chased away a Dutch warship sailing in the South China Sea | Today’s news
China said it expelled a Dutch warship that entered its waters, a rare incident between the two navies that underscores tensions over disputed borders in the South China Sea.
China’s navy and air force used “necessary measures including voice warnings and warning electronic jamming” after the frigate HNLMS De Ruyter appeared near the Paracel Islands and repeatedly launched a helicopter that violated Chinese airspace, according to a military statement on Wednesday.
“China is firmly opposed” to Dutch behaviour, the Southern Theater Command said, warning that such meetings could “very easily cause misunderstandings and misjudgments”.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on the episode.
The frigate is part of a five-month mission by the Dutch Navy to promote freedom of navigation and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. The vessel had just completed a goodwill stop in Manila where it drilled with Philippine forces.
The incident between Chinese and Dutch forces shows how tensions remain around the South China Sea. Beijing claims about four-fifths of the water is its own and bristles when foreign warships appear. The sea has long been a source of tension between China and the Philippines, with the two countries making overlapping claims to reefs and small islands in the area.
Commander Rodger de Wit of HNLMS De Ruyter said last week that a People’s Liberation Army helicopter approached the frigate in waters off the Philippines in an encounter he described as “really professional on both sides,” according to the Manila Bulletin.
Ties between China and the Netherlands strained last year when the Dutch government took control of Nexperia, a key supplier of mature chips for the automotive and consumer electronics industries. Chinese company Wingtech Technology Co. sued Nexperia and related parties in a Chinese court, seeking at least 8 billion yuan in damages and regaining control of its Dutch chip unit.
Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma will lead a delegation to Beijing in early July, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday – a visit that could lead to improved ties.
This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.
