China says it drove away U.S. cruiser near Spratly Islands

China's military said on Tuesday it drove away a U.S. guided-missile cruiser that "illegally intruded" into waters near the South China Sea's Spratly Islands.

"The actions of the U.S. military seriously violated China's sovereignty and security," said Tian Junli, spokesman for the Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army, Qazet.az reports.

The ship in question, the USS Chancellorsville guided missile cruiser, had recently sailed through the Taiwain Strait.