The Chinese and American naval warships had a major face-off in the South China sea, with Beijing telling Washington to stop what it called "illegal activities" in the area.
The American oceanographic survey ship which controls the underwater drone seized by China had been spying against the Communist nation posing a threat to Chinese naval ships in the South China Sea, a state-run daily has said while claiming that such activities by the US Navy were "very rampant" in the strategic region.