Global Courant
The U.S. military released video Monday of an encounter between a Chinese naval vessel and a U.S. destroyer in the Taiwan Strait over the weekend.
The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) reported China’s “unsafe maneuver” on Saturday but did not release video footage early Monday morning, which shows a Chinese naval vessel sharply cutting the path of the USS Chung-Hoon. The destroyer had to slow to 10 knots to avoid collision.
The USS Chung-Hoon and the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were engaged in a “freedom of navigation” through the strait between Taiwan and mainland China – waters considered international to the US and its allies, but considered a “freedom of navigation” to China. exclusive economic zone”.
USINDOPACOM said China’s “actions violated the maritime ‘Rules of the Road’ of safe passage in international waters.”
CHINESE WARSHIP ENTERS YARD OF US destroyer IN FINAL ACT OF AGGRESS IN TAIWAN STRAIT
A Chinese naval vessel nearly missed the US destroyer USS Chung-Hoon after it cut sharply in the Taiwan Strait during a joint operation with the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andre T. Richard/US Navy via AP)
“The transit of Chung-Hoon and Montreal through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the combined US-Canadian commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the USINDOPACOM said. “The United States military flies, sails and operates safely and responsibly wherever international law permits.”
On Saturday, the Chinese guided-missile destroyer overtook the Chung-Hoon on the port side and then swerved over the bow at a distance of about 150 meters, according to the USINDOPACOM. The Chinese vessel then righted itself and began to sail in a parallel direction.
HMCS Montreal commander Paul Mountford described the move as “unprofessional”, adding that it was “obviously initiated by the Chinese”, according to Global News.
“The fact that this was pre-announced over the radio clearly indicated that this was intentional,” he said. “I hope this is an isolated incident that will not happen to us again because we have international law on our side. These are international waters.”
No similar maneuver was attempted on the Canadian warship, which sailed behind Chung-Hoon.
CHINA’S DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS WAR WITH US WOULD BE ‘UNTOUCHABLE DISASTER’
USS Chung-Hoon was conducting a joint operation with the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal in the Taiwan Strait when a Chinese warship nearly caused a collision after an “aggressive” maneuver. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin defended the move, saying it was taken “in accordance with the law”.
“China’s military actions are fully justified, lawful, safe and professional,” he told reporters in Beijing. “It is the US that needs to think deeply about itself and correct the wrongdoings.”
Saturday’s incident was the second time the US has accused China of being “unnecessarily aggressive” in the past week after a Chinese J-16 fighter jet flew directly in front of a US Air Force reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea on Tuesday .
At a time when tensions are high in the region, the close calls have raised concerns that a possible accident could lead to an escalation between the two countries.
The Chinese also ignored Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone by last month deploying a research vessel along with five escort vessels to an area where a state-owned Russian company co-operates a gas block in the energy-rich South China Sea with Hanoi.
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The near miss in the Taiwan Strait took place on the same day as an annual defense conference in Singapore attended by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and China’s Defense Secretary General Li Shangfu.
Li suggested that the US and its allies created the danger with the patrols, accusing them of trying to provoke China.
China’s Defense Minister General Li Shangfu reportedly declined to meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the 20th International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
“The best way is for the countries, especially countries’ naval vessels and fighter jets, not to carry out closure actions around the territory of other countries,” he said through an interpreter. “What’s the point of going there? In China, we always say, ‘Mind your own business.'”
Austin had invited Li to talk on the sidelines of the conference, according to The Associated Press, but Li declined.
Brie Stimson, Liz Friden and The Associated Press of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
