Leave or bear consequences, China warns US destroyer near disputed South China Sea islands

China has warned a US warship to leave the vicinity of the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea or “bear all consequences” on the fifth anniversary of an international tribunal’s rejection of most of Beijing’s claims over the resource-rich waters.

The Paracels – called the Xisha Islands by Beijing – are also claimed by Vietnam and the self-ruled island of Taiwan. A Vietnamese fishing boat was sunk by a Chinese ship near the islands in April last year.