Global Courant
In the second major provocation by the Chinese military in the space of a week, a Chinese warship engaged in what the US military called “an unsafe naval interaction” when it crossed the bow of a US warship at a distance of 500 feet and hit the destroyer of forced the US Navy to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid collision.
The incident occurred Saturday when the US destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a transit in the international waters of the Taiwan Strait, the water that separates mainland China and Taiwan, officials said.
A Chinese warship appears to have intercepted the two US and Canadian vessels passing through the Taiwan Strait at night.
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“During transit, PLA(N) LUYANG III DDG 132 (PRC LY 132) conducted maneuvers in an unsafe manner near Chung-Hoon,” the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.
“The PRC LY 132 overtook Chung-Hoon on their port side and crossed their bow at 150 yards. Chung-Hoon maintained course and slowed to 10 knots to avoid collision,” the statement said.
A Chinese warship appears to have intercepted the two US and Canadian vessels passing through the Taiwan Strait at night.
Worldwide news
The Chinese warship then executed a second pass in front of the US warship’s bow at a range of 2,000 yards and remained off the destroyer’s bow.
“LY 132’s closest point of approach was 150 meters and its actions violated the maritime ‘Rules of the Road’ of safe passage in international waters,” the Indo-Pacific Command said.
The close call at sea was captured on video by journalists from Canada’s Global News outlet traveling aboard the HMCS Montreal, which sailed some distance behind the Chung-Hoon.
That video showed that the Chinese warship appeared to be going left to right in front of the warship’s path.
A Chinese warship appears to have intercepted the two US and Canadian vessels passing through the Taiwan Strait at night.
Worldwide news
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirmed US commitment to the Indo-Pacific as China engages in provocative behavior in the region, in a speech Saturday before a security conference in Singapore.
“We will support our allies and partners as they defend against coercion and bullying,” Austin said. “To be clear, we do not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will not shy away from bullying or coercion.”
China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu also referred to “bullying” and “double standards” in Asia by “some country”, a clear reference to the US, in his remarks on Sunday to the Shangri-La Dialogue -top.
“A cold-war mentality is now resurfacing, greatly increasing security risks,” he said. “Mutual respect must prevail over bullying and hegemony.”
Chinese planes and warships have been harassed by Chinese planes and ships as they traverse the South China Sea, where China has made territorial maritime claims in recent years.
A J-16 fighter pilot from the People’s Republic of China executes a maneuver during the interception of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft over the South China Sea, May 26, 2023.
USAF
US officials said they believe the harassment is coordinated and increasing in frequency.
A Chinese fighter jet crossed paths with a US reconnaissance plane in late May while flying in international airspace, over the South China Sea, forcing the US plane to fly through the wake of the Chinese plane.
A senior US defense official spoke about that incident on Tuesday and expressed belief that the Chinese harassment is coordinated and increasing in frequency.
“We don’t believe it is being done by pilots operating independently,” the official told a small group of reporters. “We believe it’s part of a broader pattern that we’re seeing in the South China Sea, East China Sea, Taiwan Strait and elsewhere.”
A J-16 fighter pilot from the People’s Republic of China executes a maneuver during the interception of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft over the South China Sea, May 26, 2023.
USAF
Austin has sought to engage in substantive discussions with China to emphasize the need for regular discussions to avoid potential miscalculations or escalations that could result from such incidents.
Before arriving in Singapore, China declined its offer to meet with Li, but on Friday Austin was able to shake hands with Li and engage in a brief discussion at a dinner for senior leaders attending the conference.
“A cordial handshake over dinner is no substitute for a substantive engagement,” Austin said in his remarks on Saturday. “And the more we talk, the more we can avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict.”
Another previous such incident occurred on December 21, 2022, when a PLA J-11 fighter pilot came within 10 feet of what INDO-PACOM called “an unsafe maneuver.”
