2019年中共以撞船威胁而迫使美舰离开，美国军方承认此事。美国不像中共，向来承认事实。

十多天前，美国Benfold号驱逐舰到南海诸岛中最大的永兴岛12海里内，中共自称“警告驱离”，美国海军的回复是：美军很享受这样的自由航行（“Under international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention, the ships of all states, including their warships, – enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea。… By conducting this operation, the United States demonstrated that these waters are beyond what China can lawfully claim as its territorial sea,”