The commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz said Chinese vessels and planes that he encountered during a seven-month deployment in the western Pacific were “very polite and very professional.”
Capt. Craig Sicola told reporters that he expected interactions to be more tense due to the current state of US-China relations. “I would say that probably some of the most professional interactions I’ve had in my 29 years [in the Navy] are with them,” he said, according to Defense One.
Sicola said the Chinese military “reached out, and their scripts are very professional, just like we’ve arranged.” The USS Nimitz is now on its way back home to the US, where it’s based in Bremerton, Washington.
The USS Nimitz and its strike group participated in several military exercises while in the western Pacific, including with the Japanese and South Korean militaries. The aircraft carrier also spent time in the sensitive South China Sea, where the US rejects most of China’s claims to the waters.
Sicola’s comments come after the US military accused China of “unsafe” and “unprofessional” maneuvers over two recent incidents, an encounter between US and Chinese planes over the South China Sea and one involving warships in the Taiwan Strait.
On June 3, US Indo-Pacific claimed a Chinese ship made an “unsafe maneuver” by passing within 150 yards in front of a US naval ship that was transiting the Taiwan Strait with a Canadian naval vessel. The Chinese military defended its actions, saying that US warships were in the region for the sake of provocation.
US military activity near China has increased in recent years, including the presence of aircraft carriers in the South China Sea. At the same time, US military leaders are openly discussing that they are preparing for a future war with China in the region.
The Taiwan Strait is literally 7000 miles away from California and on China’s coastline. Can we please stop sending warships there for the sake of provoking the Chinese? They accomplish absolutely nothing other than add to the risk of war.
Tell China to stop its provocative moves against Taiwan.
Blinken tells China that the US “does not support Taiwan independence”
https://disq.us/url?url=htt…
really. then why is uncle sam constantly poking around over there
Until the moment we support Taiwan independence, we’ll say we don’t. Just like the statements of “We stand by our commitments” to Taiwan until we didn’t, which was announced in 1978, and became effective in 1979.
“Cause sometimes its best to quietly maintain a peaceful status quo.
Taiwan is a tiny off shores island about 180 km off mainland China. It’s about one third of the South Island of New Zealand. The US in 1972 recognised Taiwan as an inseparable part of China. In 1945 the UN recognised Taiwan (then called Formosa) being part of China. When in 1949 the PRC took over the UN continued to recognise Taiwan as part of China. During WW2 Japan occupied all the islands in the South China Sea, including Taiwan. When in 1945 Japan was defeated America was instrumental in returning all the island, including Taiwan to mainland China. The population of Taiwan is about 23 million. There are many Taiwanese who actually work and study in mainland China and want to be one with the mainland.
The US continuous provocations are meant to keep the MIC (military industrial complex) warmachine going, same as inUkraine. Many, many Americans are beginning to realise this.
A little afterthought: What would the US have done in a similar situation? What’s the reason why China does not invade Taiwan by force, while its geographically/ strategically in a much more advantageous position. The answer they would be killing their own people.
The Anglo-Zionist Empire has within it the seeds of its own destruction, overreach and avarice without limit. Hopefully we can at some point become a “normal” nation that works for a living, pays its bills, and minds its own business. Overreach and avarice without limit doesn’t cut it anymore.
Very well said.
And where does this so called “Anglo-Zionist” empire exist?
Is there a point to this conversation. We have head of US state disrespect China, and expects China to carry on negotiiating on lower levels as if nothing happened.
This is waste if tine. China does not need US as much as US needs China. It will all boil down to that. Taiwan should the residents folliw Ukraine path be offered as burnt offering on the altar of human folly.