CHINESE forces followed and warned away a US warship after it illegally entered waters near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army said today.

The Southern Theatre Command said that the USS Benfold had sailed into China’s territorial waters without permission, violating the country's sovereignty, and that Chinese naval and air forces had tracked the ship.

“We solemnly demand that the US side immediately stop such provocative actions, otherwise it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen events,” it added.

The US navy, while denying that the Benfold had been warned away, appeared to confirm the ship had been in the area, with Seventh Fleet spokesman Mark Langford claiming that it had been carrying out an operation to defend freedom of navigation “in accordance with international law.”

The South China Sea has become one of many flashpoints between China and the United States, with Washington rejecting what it calls unlawful territorial claims by Beijing.