Beijing defends PLA navy’s ‘justified, lawful, safe and professional’ move against US provocations

AFP: The US military has said that a Chinese navy ship maneuvered in an unsafe manner near an American military ship in the Taiwan Strait on Saturday, with the distance between the ships reportedly less than 140 meters. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on this matter? Wang Wenbin: The spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command has made a statement on this. You may refer to that. The fact is the US side made provocations first and the Chinese side only responded by handling the incident in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. China respects the freedom of navigation and overflight all countries are entitled to under international law. The actions taken by the Chinese military are necessary steps in response to the provocations by the country concerned. These actions are completely justified, lawful, safe and professional. China resolutely opposes the country concerned stirring up trouble in the Taiwan Strait and is firmly determined to defend its sovereignty and security