US Indo-Pacific Command accused a Chinese warship of acting in an “unsafe manner” when it passed a US Navy guided-missile destroyer that was transiting the Taiwan Strait with a Canadian frigate on Saturday.
The command said in a statement that the Chinese warship overtook the USS Chung-Hoon in the Taiwan Strait and passed within 150 yards of its bow. The statement said the Chung-Hoon had to slow its speed to 10 knots (nautical miles per hour).
The US military frames its Taiwan Strait transits as “routine,” but Beijing views them as provocations. In recent years, the US has increased its military activity around Taiwan and in the South China Sea, ignoring Beijing’s warnings.
Part of the US strategy has been getting Western allies to increase their presence in the region as well, although joint patrols with Canada are rare. Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand spoke at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday and said that Canada will “significantly” increase its military presence in the Indo-Pacific.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu also spoke in Singapore and reaffirmed that China views US patrols in the region as provocations. Li said China has no issue with “innocent passage” but said that “we must prevent attempts that try to use those freedom of navigation (patrols), that innocent passage, to exercise hegemony of navigation.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin vowed at the same conference that the US would continue military action near China, including naval patrols and surveillance flights. “We won’t be deterred by dangerous operational behavior at sea or in international airspace,” he said.
Last week, the US accused a Chinese warplane of making an “unprofessional intercept” of a US military surveillance plane over the South China Sea. The increase in US military activity in the region raises the risk of an accident between the two militaries, and the low state of US-China relations means such an incident could quickly spiral into a conflict.
Look everyone, U.S. of all countries is whining about “unsafe manner” to China. Someone call the wambulance.
Not being deterred of the possible consequences is the single greatest threat of all….If one has no fear then one cannot be brave either.
“Routine, innocent, freedom of passage, …” Are they getting their inspiration from reading 1984?
These constant whines about some “Unsafe maneuver” by some meanie is making us the world’s biggest Karen.
😂
The entire Taiwan Strait is barely 100 miles wide, which divides mainland China and Taiwan. Why are American and Canadian warships conducting war exercises within that area? Imagine if China and Russia randomly started “transiting” warships between Key West and Havana? (also 100 miles) These are provocations plain and simple and serve no purpose other than to stoke tensions. Once again, a policy Trump started but Biden decided to keep and escalate. No difference between the war parties.
Nailed it.
“Imagine if China and Russia randomly started “transiting” warships between Key West and Havana? (also 100 miles)”
What, like this or this?
Be nice if the US toned it down to that level.
Or how about the California coast or Long Island?
Again, Amerikkka: stay the f*ck in your own neighborhood and you’ll have fewer things to bitch about.
And if China is such a “threat” to the United Snakes, isn’t this where the Amerikkan military belongs?
US does not have any rights whatsoever to criticize China in their own water…!
Now that Russia is once again aiding Cuba, perhaps Russian war ships protecting Russian freighters might transit the Florida Strait going to and from Havana on a regular basis just for good measure.
“Do as I say, not as I do.”