China strongly dissatisfied by USA warships entering South China Sea

A USA official said the warships had approached the islands on Monday to counter Chinese claims of domination over the entire South China Sea.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble departs Naval Base San Diego for a scheduled underway in February 6, 2013.

Beijing and Washington are both trying to hammer out a deal ahead of March 1.

The relevant action by the US side infringed upon China's sovereignty, and undermined the peace, security, and order of the relevant waters, Hua said, adding that China will continue to take necessary measures to safeguard itself.

Reacting to the US' move, China accused Washington of trespassing in its territorial waters.

Speaking at a meeting of the Atlantic Council in Washington last week, Admiral John Richardson, chief of US Naval Operation, called for firmer rules governing naval encounters in disputed waters such as the South China Sea. The US labelled the Chinese warship's actions unsafe and unprofessional, while Beijing said the US was threatening the safety and sovereignty of China.

In January, the destroyer USS McCampbell sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands.

Fears have grown in recent months that the US-China trade dispute is just one element in a bilateral relationship that is fast cooling across the board, with top US administration officials sharply criticising Beijing for everything from human rights abuses to cyber espionage in the United States. The deployment is seen as the latest attempt by Washington to stand up to what it believes are attempts by Beijing to limit freedom of navigation in the strategic waters, where Chinese, Japanese and other Southeast Asian navies operate.

Other regional nations-such as the Philippines and Vietnam-lay claim to part of the waterway and the USA routinely pushes back against China by sending ships to patrol the sea.

Beijing and Washington remain at loggerheads over U.S. allegations for China's militarisation of the South China Sea by building military installations on artificial islands and reefs.

"All operations are designed in accordance with global law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever worldwide law allows", Doss added, arguing "that is true in the South China Sea as in other places around the globe".

China says the construction is necessary for defence, and it was the U.S. that was responsible for tensions by sending warships and military planes close to islands Beijing claims.