Chinese military says 'warned' US warship to leave S. China Sea

A guided-missile destroyer, USS Benfold, conducts underway operations in the South China Sea in this file photo from July 13, 2022. - Reuters

BEIJING (AFP):The Chinese military said it had tracked a US warship in the South China Sea on Thursday (March 23) and "warned it to leave" waters claimed by Beijing.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea -- a strategic waterway through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually -- despite an international court ruling that the assertion has no legal basis.