China Warns Off US Warship in South China Sea, Escalating Tensions

China's military claims to have driven a U.S. warship, the USS Hopper, away from waters it claims in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, accusing the United States of being the "biggest destroyer" of peace and stability in the region. This incident marks the first confrontation since the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this month. China's claims over the South China Sea have long been a point of contention with other regional claimants, and Beijing has rejected the 2016 ruling that its claims have no legal basis. The United States regularly challenges excessive maritime claims and conducts freedom of navigation missions in the region.