In a statement on Thursday, the Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said the USS Milius, a guided missile destroyer, intruded into waters around the disputed Paracel Islands.The PLA “organised sea and air forces to track and monitor [the ship] in accordance with the law” and “warned it to leave”, spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command Tian Junli said.The US vessel “made an illegal incursion into Chinese territorial waters … without permission from the Chinese government, harming peace and stability” in the region, he said.“The theatre forces will maintain a high state of alert at all times and take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he said.China’s state media described the US ship as having trespassed in “Chinese territorial waters”.The US Navy on Thursday disputed the PLA statement, saying the destroyer was conducting “routine operations” in the South China Sea and was not expelled by Chinese ships.“The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows,” a statement from the US Navy 7th Fleet said.A tweet from the 7th Fleet made no mention of the USS Milius’s encounter with Chinese naval forces.The US-China tension has been growing in recent months as Beijing adopts a most aggressive stance towards Taiwan and as Washington seals agreements for military cooperation with Asian states which are party to territorial disputes in the South China Sea.