China says it drove away Dutch frigate near disputed Paracel Islands

Last updated May 30, 2026

China’s military said it used warnings and electronic interference against the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter near the Paracel Islands, while the Netherlands denied China’s account of unauthorised activity

• European naval presence is colliding more directly with Chinese maritime claims, widening the dispute’s stakeholder base.
• China’s military released footage of an encounter with the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, according to Newsweek.
• Beijing said Chinese naval and air forces used warnings and electronic interference to drive the ship away.
• The encounter took place on Wednesday near the Paracel Island group, which China controls and which remains disputed.
• Newsweek reported that footage released late the following evening showed China deploying at least two warships and a fighter aircraft to intercept the Dutch frigate.

Still unclear: What local readers are seeing from the ground

Based only on supplied evidence from Newsweek, South China Morning Post, USNI excerpt and Pravda Netherlands. China’s claims, Dutch denial and technical descriptions of electronic interference are reported as attributed accounts, not independently verified technical findings.