China criticized the US after an American warship sailed in disputed waters in the South China Sea, underscoring lingering military tensions between the nations.Most Read from BloombergWall Street’s Furious Bull Run Gets Reality Check: Markets WrapHow Suspects Laundered Billions in Singapore for YearsBitcoin Surges Past $42,

The Chinese military said that an American naval ship had 'illegally intruded' on Monday into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of a hot territorial dispute between China and the Philippines.

China's military on Monday said a U.S. Navy ship illegally entered waters adjacent to the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed South China Sea atoll that has recently seen several maritime confrontations.

The Chinese military said that an American naval ship had "illegally intruded" on Monday into waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, the site of a hot territorial dispute between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

The U.S. Navy said the ship “was conducting routine operations in international waters ... consistent with international law.”

China’s military said Monday that a U.S. warship had “illegally” entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.

In a dramatic escalation of territorial disputes, China has accused the United States of violating its sovereign waters by alleging that the USS Gabrielle Giffords "illegally intruded" near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.