US slams China's 'unsafe and unprofessional' conduct in disputed waters

The US and China have condemned each other over a naval confrontation in the South China Sea on Sunday, with tensions between the two countries showing the first signs of stretching beyond a trade war.

The incident took place as US Navy vessel, the USS Decatur, sailed nearby the Chinese occupied Gaven Reef in the disputed South China Sea, before being forced to alter its course following what navy spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Tim Gorman called "an unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre" by an intercepting Chinese destroyer vessel.

Gorman added that the Chinese vessel had approached to within 45 yards of Decatur’s bow, at which point the US vessel was forced to reposition.

In turn, China accused the US of violating its sovereignty in the region and urged Washington to avoid "provocative actions" that would undermine regional peace and stability, as well as relations between the two countries.

China has laid claim to 80% of the South China Sea, in which other nations such as the Philippines and Vietnam also have territorial claims.

The US Navy regularly carries out operations in the disputed waters to demonstrate the right to travel freely in the area, which is one of the planet's busiest shipping routes and considered to be international waters by most countries.

Sunday's incident - even as the trade war between the two nations intensifies - is just the latest naval dispute to arise after Beijing refused to allow a US warship into Hong Kong last month and in May Chinese forces warded two US vessels away from the disputed Paracel Islands.