A Chinese warship came within 150 yards of hitting the USS Chung-Hoon on Saturday before crossing its bow a second time at closer to 2,000 yards while the U.S. destroyer was conducting joint exercises with Canada in the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) confirmed.
_x000D_The incident occurred as U.S.-Chinese tensions remain high in the South China Sea.
_x000D_The Chinese ship “executed maneuvers in an unsafe manner,” overtaking the USS Chung-Hoon on its portside at 150 yards while the U.S. destroyer was sailing “through waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply” with Canada's HMCS Montreal, USINDOPACOM said in a release.
_x000D_ _x000D_The Chinese ship then crossed Chung-Hoon’s bow a second time “starboard to port at 2,000 yards and remained off Chung-Hoon’s port bow,” the release added.
_x000D_USINDOPACOM said “its actions violated the maritime ‘Rules of the Road’ of safe passage in international waters.”
_x000D_The U.S. told the Chinese ship to stay away from the destroyer and at the last moment the Chinese altered course, Canada's Global News reported The Chung-Hoon slowed down to 10 knots but maintained its course.
_x000D_ _x000D_HMCS Montreal Commander Paul Mountford called the incident “not professional” on the part of the Chinese, saying it was “clearly instigated by the Chinese,” according to Global News.
_x000D_“The fact this was announced over the radio prior to doing it, clearly indicated this was intentional,” he added.
