China says the US ship entered its territorial waters without permission

The Chinese military said Saturday that the US Navy destroyer USS Hopper entered Chinese territory without permission from the Chinese government.

According to a post on the official WeChat account of the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command, the Chinese military mobilized its navy and air forces to “track, monitor and alert” the ship.

“This incident demonstrates that the US is a real ‘creator of security risks’ in the South China Sea,” the note pointed out.

The announcement comes days after China accused the Philippines of recruiting “foreign forces” to patrol the South China Sea, referring to joint operations by Philippine and US forces since Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the US and China held “transparent” talks on maritime issues, including the South China Sea, and the US side underscored concerns about “dangerous and illegal” Chinese activities, the Defense Department said.