March 9, 2009: The Pentagon says five Chinese ships, including a naval vessel, harassed USNS Impeccable in international waters off Hainan. China says the US ship was carrying out an illegal survey. [China Daily]

China on Tuesday said that a U.S. navy vessel, which conducted activities in China's special economic zone in the South China Sea, violated the international and Chinese law.

"China has lodged a solemn representation to the United States as the USNS Impeccable conducted activities in China's special economic zone in the South China Sea without China's permission," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told a regular news briefing.

"We demand that the United States put an immediate stop to related activities and take effective measures to prevent similar acts from happening," Ma said.

The Pentagon accused that Chinese ships, including a naval vessel, harassed the USNS Impeccable in international waters on Sunday.

Ma said "the U.S. claims are gravely in contravention of the facts and confuse black and white and they are totally unacceptable to China."

He added that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Law on the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf of the People's Republic of China, and the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Management of Foreign-related Marine Scientific Research, have clear regulations on foreign vessels' activities in China's exclusive economic zones.

The Chinese government always handles such activities strictly in accordance with these laws and regulations.

Editor: Yan