Southern Theater Command Spokesperson Zhai Shichen Issues Statement on Provocative Actions by Dutch Warship

南部战区新闻发言人翟士臣就荷兰军舰侵权行为发表谈话

PLA Daily (解放军报) 27 May 2026

Summary

On May 27, the Southern Theater Command deployed naval and air forces to expel Dutch Navy frigate De Ruyter after it transited the Xisha Islands, with its helicopter conducting multiple flights the PLA characterized as violations of Chinese territorial airspace; the response included voice warnings and electronic jamming. Spokesperson Zhai Shichen's statement documents the PLA's use of electronic warfare as a declared, routine expulsion tool against a NATO-member vessel—not merely a surveillance or deterrence measure—raising the question of how Beijing intends to normalize jamming as a legal enforcement action in disputed airspace. The Xisha transit extends a pattern of European naval freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea and confirms the Southern Theater Command's standing posture of treating such transits as sovereignty violations requiring active countermeasures rather than diplomatic protest alone.

PLA Southern Theater Command explicitly acknowledges use of electronic jamming against a NATO member warship (Dutch frigate De Ruyter) near the Paracel Islands, a rare public admission of an offensive electronic warfare measure employed against a European navy conducting a freedom of navigation operation.

Translation

Southern Theater Command Spokesperson Zhai Shichen, Naval Senior Captain, stated that on May 27, the Dutch Navy frigate De Ruyter illegally intruded into China's Xisha Islands, with its shipborne helicopter making multiple sorties in violation of China's territorial airspace. The People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to take necessary measures in accordance with laws and regulations, including voice warnings and warning electronic jamming, to expel the vessel. The Dutch side's actions seriously infringed upon China's territorial sovereignty and maritime and aerial security, seriously violated international law and the basic norms of international relations, seriously undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea, and are highly prone to causing misunderstandings and miscalculations. We resolutely oppose this and sternly warn the Dutch side to immediately cease its infringing and provocative actions. Theater command forces remain on high alert at all times and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability.

Original Chinese

南部战区新闻发言人翟士臣海军大校表示，5月27日，荷兰海军“德鲁伊特”号护卫舰非法侵闯中国西沙群岛，多次升空舰载直升机侵入我国领空。中国人民解放军南部战区组织海空兵力，依法依规采取语音警告、警示性电子干扰等必要措施予以外逼驱离。荷方行径严重侵犯中国领土主权和海空安全，严重违反国际法和国际关系基本准则，严重破坏南海和平稳定，极易引发误解误判。我们对此坚决反对，正告荷方立即停止侵权挑衅行径。战区部队时刻保持高度戒备，坚决捍卫国家主权安全和地区和平稳定。