WW4 File: South China Sea rapidly becoming flash point for war as Beijing warns Washington against conducting naval ops in disputed waters, follows Apr. 28 transit of Taiwan Strait by destroyer USS Barry; People’s Daily quotes senior PLA colonel Li Huamin as saying: “A US warship on Tue entered the territorial waters off Xisha [Paracel] Islands in the South China Sea without China’s permission. The Southern Theater Command of PLA deployed air and navy forces to monitor and verify the ship, and warned it to leave”; Paracel Islands claimed by PRC, ROC and Vietnam; meanwhile Beijing and Kuala Lumpur tussling over regional waters after Malaysia’s state-run energy giant contracted vessel to explore two areas in S. China Sea last Dec., waters also claimed by PRC and Vietnam, both of which sent ships to shadow Malaysian vessel; US Sec. of State Mike Pompeo addressed incident, noting that Beijing “dispatched a flotilla that included an energy survey vessel for the sole purpose of intimidating other claimants from engaging in offshore hydrocarbon development. The U.S. strongly opposes China’s bullying and we hope other nations will hold them to account too”; US, Australian navies assert international status of S. China Sea by holding joint drill in region

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