A Chinese warship crossed the front end of a US warship at a distance of 150 yards, causing the US Navy destroyer to take evasive maneuvers to prevent crashing into it. This was the second major provocation by China's military in less than a week.
A Chinese Navy Passed a US Battleship 150 Yards Away
The incident took place on Saturday, June 3. According to ABC News, the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a transit in the international waters of the Taiwan Strait, which divides the Chinese mainland from Taiwan.
US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement, "During the transit, PLA(N) LUYANG III DDG 132 (PRC LY 132) executed maneuvers in an unsafe manner in the vicinity of Chung-Hoon. 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 kts to avoid a collision."
Reportedly, the Chinese vessel made a second pass in front of the American warship's bow from a distance of 2,000 yards. It stayed on the port side of the destroyer the whole time.
The PRC LY 132 breached the "Rules of the Road" for safe navigation in international seas by coming within 150 yards of another vessel, the Indo-Pacific Command said.
Global News reporters were on the HMCS Montreal, not far behind the Chung-Hoon, and caught the near call on camera. The Chinese battleship seemed to move from left to right in the footage.
During a security conference in Singapore on the weekend, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke out against China's aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific.
"We will support our allies and partners as they defend themselves against coercion and bullying ... To be clear, we do not seek conflict or confrontation, but we will not flinch in the face of bullying or coercion," Austin stated.
Is the Harassment Ongoing and Increasing?
In his speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue meeting on Sunday, June 4, China's Defense Minister Li Shangfu also talked about "bullying" and "double standards" in Asia by "some country," which seemed to be the US.
The security dangers have increased dramatically since a cold war mentality is now resurgent. Bullying and hegemony should give way to mutual respect, he said.
ABC News reported that China had established territorial maritime claims in the South China Sea in recent years. This has led to incidents of harassment involving Chinese aircraft and vessels transiting the sea.
US authorities have stated their belief that the harassment is systematic and growing in frequency. In late May, while flying in international airspace over the South China Sea, a Chinese fighter jet veered into the path of an American spy plane.
"We don't believe it's done by pilots operating independently. We believe it's part of a wider pattern we see in the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and elsewhere," said a senior US defense official.
