China Warns Away U.S. Warship Near Disputed Isles in South China Sea

China’s military says it has “driven away” a U.S. warship that had sailed close to the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said on Wednesday that the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold had illegally entered Chinese territorial waters, adding that the move seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security. It also noted that Chinese naval and air forces had tracked the ship and warned it to leave the vicinity of the disputed islands, while showing pictures of the Benfold taken from the deck of the Chinese frigate the Xianning….