China accused the US Navy of violating its sovereignty during a South China Sea maneuver the US said was routine and in international waters.

China's Southern Theater Command said Monday that the USS Gabrielle Giffords illegally entered waters around the Second Thomas Shoal of the Spratly Islands without China's permission. China and the Philippines both claim territory near the shoal.

The command spokesperson accused the US of deliberately disrupting the situation in the South China Sea, seriously violating China's sovereignty and security, and undermining regional peace and stability.

The US Navy's 7th Fleet spokesperson told NHK that the "USS Gabrielle Giffords was conducting routine operations in international waters in the South China Sea, consistent with international law. Every day the US 7th Fleet operates in the South China Sea, as they have for decades."

The fleet spokesperson also said, "We will not be deterred from continuing to work alongside our allies and partners in support of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific."

In their summit in November, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to resume bilateral talks between defense ministers.