BEIJING: The United States often sends ships and aircraft into the South China Sea to 鈥渇lex its muscles鈥� and this is not good for peace, China鈥檚 Foreign Ministry said on Monday, after a US aircraft carrier group sailed into the disputed waterway.
The strategic South China Sea, through which trillions of dollars in trade flows each year, has long been a focus of contention between Beijing and Washington, with China particularly angered by US military activity there.
The US carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt and accompanied by three warships, entered the waterway on Saturday to promote 鈥渇reedom of the seas,鈥� the US military said, just days after Joe Biden became US president.
鈥淭he United States frequently sends aircraft and vessels into the South China Sea to flex its muscles,鈥� the foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, told reporters, responding to the US mission.
鈥淭his is not conducive to peace and stability in the region.鈥�
China has repeatedly complained about US Navy ships getting close to islands it occupies in the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan all have competing claims.
The carrier group entered the South China Sea at the same time as Chinese-claimed Taiwan reported incursions by Chinese air force jets into the southwestern part of its air defense identification zone, prompting concern from Washington.
China has not commented on what its air force was doing, and Zhao referred questions to the defense ministry.
He reiterated China鈥檚 position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that the United States should abide by the 鈥渙ne China鈥� principle.
Biden鈥檚 new administration says the US commitment to Taiwan is 鈥渞ock-solid.鈥�
The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is the democratic island鈥檚 most important international backer and main arms supplier, to China鈥檚 anger.