(Reuters) – The U.S. Navy released a video of what it called an “unsafe interaction” in the Taiwan Strait in which a Chinese warship crossed in front of a U.S. destroyer, a risky incident amid deteriorating Sino-U.S. ties.
The meeting comes at a time when the two countries are exchanging accusations over their failure to hold military negotiations — with disagreements between the two over everything from trade and Taiwan to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and raises the specter of future confrontations that could spiral out of control.
The US military said the USS Chung-Hoon, a destroyer, and the Canadian frigate HSMC Montreal were conducting a “routine” transit in the strait on Saturday when the Chinese ship cut in front of the US vessel, coming within 137 meters.
In the video, released by the U.S. Navy on Sunday night, a Chinese warship can clearly be seen sailing the course of the Chung-Hoon in calm waters. The Chung-Hoon does not change course.
A voice can be heard in English, apparently sending a radio message to the Chinese ship, warning against “attempts to limit freedom of navigation,” although the exact text is unclear because of wind noise.
“PROBLEM AND PROVOCATION”
“The measures taken by the Chinese military are completely reasonable, legitimate, professional and safe,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry.
“The US caused trouble and provocation first, while China dealt with it according to law and regulations later,” Wang said at a press conference about the video released by the US Navy.
The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on Monday.
On Saturday night, China’s military rebuked the United States and Canada for “deliberately provoking risks” with the rare joint sailing.
It was the second such encounter in recent days.
On May 26, a Chinese fighter jet performed an “unnecessarily aggressive” maneuver near a U.S. military plane over the South China Sea in international airspace, according to the United States.
“It seems to me that Beijing has instructed its forces to respond more assertively against what it believes is encroachment by U.S. and allied forces,” said Derek Grossman, senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, a U.S. think tank.
“In doing so, China is only increasing the chances of miscalculation — that is, ships or aircraft accidentally colliding — that could lead to an armed conflict,” he added.
Russian bombers fly over international waters near Norway
Two of Russia’s strategic bombers have conducted routine flights over the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea off the northern coast of Norway, a member of the Western military alliance North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.
Russia regularly flies its Tu-95МС long-range bombers, capable of carrying nuclear missiles, over international waters.
The flight lasted five hours and was carried out “in strict compliance with international airspace regulations,” the ministry said.
(By Reuters)