The US military today released video of an incident of a Chinese ship coming face to face with another ship in an unsafe manner in the Taiwan Strait late last week. However, the accident was averted. Significantly, a Chinese Navy ship suddenly came in front of an American destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, due to which the American ship had to slow down its speed to avoid collision.
Expresses its claim on Taiwan
The incident took place on Saturday when the US destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal were conducting a so-called freedom of navigation exercise in the strait between Taiwan and mainland China. China claims the democratically self-governing island of Taiwan and describes the strait as its exclusive economic zone, while ships from the US and its allies regularly pass through the area and their aircraft fly by. They argue that this is international waters.
accused of unnecessarily aggressive behavior
In the video released today, the Chinese ship is seen coming in the path of the American ship and then turning and moving in its parallel direction. The Indo-Pacific Command said that these activities violate maritime rules for safe passage in international waters. The US recently accused China of behaving unnecessarily aggressively in the airspace. The incident in the Taiwan Strait took place when US Secretary of State Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister General Li Shangfu were in Singapore for an annual defense conference.
Well-cared for airspace and waterspace
China’s Defense Minister General Li Shangfu had said that the US and its allies created a threat in the Taiwan Strait, while instead they should take good care of their airspace and waters. What is the point of coming there, he said through an interpreter. In China we always say, mind your business. Austin invited Lee to speak on the sidelines of the conference, but Lee declined.