China says warned away U.S. warship in South China Sea

BEIJING, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Chinese forces followed and warned away a U.S. warship which entered waters near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the country’s military said on Thursday.

The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said the USS Benfold “illegally” sailed into Chinese territorial waters without permission.

The United States frequently carries out what it calls freedom of navigation missions in the disputed waterway to challenge Chinese territorial claims.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

((ben.blanchard@thomsonreuters.com;))