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Chinese military spokesperson condemns Dutch warship's provocative acts in South China Sea

China Military Online (EN) 27 May 2026
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PLA spokesperson Tian Junli on Wednesday publicly condemned a Dutch Navy vessel for what China characterizes as illegal transit through the Xisha Qundao (Paracel Islands) and unauthorized shipborne helicopter operations in Chinese-claimed territorial airspace. The statement documents Beijing's standard freedom-of-navigation challenge response — public condemnation paired with a demand to cease — but does not report any PLA intercept, escort, or use of force, leaving the operational response, if any, unknown.
A Dutch Navy vessel conducting operations in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands area is analytically notable as a non-U.S., non-UK European naval freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea, representing a relatively rare instance of a continental European NATO ally conducting such an operation and drawing a formal PLA response.

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Wednesday condemned the provocative acts by a Dutch Navy vessel that illegally trespassed into China's Xisha Qundao and conducted multiple shipborne helicopter operations violating China's territorial airspace, urging the Dutch side to immediately stop its violations and provocations.

Original text
BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese military spokesperson on Wednesday condemned the provocative acts by a Dutch Navy vessel that illegally trespassed into China's Xisha Qundao and conducted multiple shipborne helicopter operations violating China's territorial airspace, urging the Dutch side to immediately stop its violations and provocations.