Tensions Escalate in South China Sea China 'Warns Away' US Destroyer

Incident marks first confrontation since recent progress reported in talks between Presidents Xi Jinping and Joe Biden.

China's military claims it drove away the US destroyer USS Hopper from disputed waters in the South China Sea, accusing the US of being a 'security risk creator'.
The US insists the USS Hopper was on a routine freedom of navigation patrol, asserting navigational rights consistent with international law.
China lays claim to nearly the entire South China Sea, a claim that was ruled as having no legal basis by The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016.
The Philippines and Australia have begun their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea, days after China accused Manila of enlisting foreign forces for patrols.
The incident marks the first confrontation since Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden reported progress on some issues straining ties between the global rivals.