BEIJING warned the United States today that military threats would not succeed, as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army drove away a US battleship after it had entered Chinese-claimed waters.

The destroyer USS Benfold was accused of illegally trespassing into waters close to the Xisha (Paracel) Islands.

Beijing said the move “seriously violated China’s sovereignty and security, damaged peace and stability in the South China Sea, and violated international law and international relations.”