China Accuses US Warship of “Illegally” Entering Disputed Waters of Second Thomas Shoal

China has accused the American Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords of "illegally" entering the disputed waters of the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, claiming that the move "infringes China's sovereignty and safety, disrupts regional peace and stability and violates international law and the basic norms of international relations," according to China's Southern Theater Command.