The inevitable provocation occurred after a China Navy ship maneuvered in an “unsafe manner” near a US destroyer in the Taiwan Strait.
It was the second US and China military maneuver in less than 10 days after one of Beijing’s planes also flew close to a US surveillance drone last week.
The US Asia-Pacific Command said the China vessels maneuvered unsafely around the destroyer Chung-Hoon on Saturday (3/6).
As reported by AFP, the China warship cut the ship’s course on the port side of the US Chung-Hoon at about 150 yards or about 137 meters. Because of that action, Chung-Hoon slowed the boat to 10 knots to avoid a collision.
PER INTERNATIONAL LAW, the US military considers their ships to have sailed safely and responsibly anywhere.
The incident occurred while Chung-Hoon was sailing through the Taiwan Strait with Canada’s warship HSCM Montreal on a joint mission in “sensitive” waters between China and Taiwan.
“The concerned countries are deliberately causing trouble in the Taiwan Strait, deliberately causing risk, with the intention of undermining regional peace and stability,” said Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for China’s Eastern Theater Command.
US warships frequently sail through the Taiwan Strait. The US and Canada last sailed together in those waters in September 2022.
Meanwhile, responding to this incident, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense called China’s actions with US and Canadian ships a provocation.
“Any action to escalate tensions and harm will not contribute to regional security,” the ministry said.
China, until now, claims Taiwan as part of its territory. China has increasingly stepped up its military and political pressure on the region in recent years.