China claims it expelled Dutch frigate near Paracel Islands

China’s military said it expelled the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter from waters near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army said the ship entered the area near Xisha, China’s name for the Paracel Islands, and that helicopter operations from the ship repeatedly took off and entered China’s airspace. Spokesman Zhai Shichen said Chinese forces issued verbal warnings and electronic interference to drive away the vessel. The Dutch navy denied the allegation. Spokeswoman Marinka Hiraldo Vos-van Kooten said De Ruyter was not in China’s territorial waters and was operating in accordance with international law. The incident adds to tensions in the South China Sea, a disputed region also subject to claims by China and other countries.