China issues a warning to US missile destroyers in the South China Sea.

China said on Thursday that its armed forces had sent warships and planes to monitor and warn away a US guided missile destroyer from the South China Sea near the Paracel (Xisha) islands, the latest heated episode between the two nations in the disputed maritime territory. The USS Benfold "illegally" went into Chinese national waters without authorization, infringing on the country's sovereignty, according to the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Southern Theatre Command, and Chinese navy and air forces monitored the ship before warning it away. "The US side's actions have seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, which is yet another…