A Chinese naval vessel came dangerously close to a US warship during a tense incident in the South China Sea last week, US military officials said on Friday.<\/p>\n
The USS Cowpens, a category_ided missile cruiser, was forced to manoeuvre to avoid a collision with the Chinese ship that had crossed directly in front of it and halted, according to naval officers and defence officials.<\/p>\n
China’s amphibious dock ship came less than 500 yards from the American warship, a defence official said.<\/p>\n
“This encounter happened in international waters in the South China Sea on Dec 5,” the defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in an email.<\/p>\n
“Eventually, effective bridge-to-bridge communication occurred between the US and Chinese crews, and both vessels manoeuvred to ensure safe passage,” the official said.<\/p>\n
The official said the Cowpens had been “in the vicinity” of China’s new aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, when the incident occurred.<\/p>\n
The stand-off ended peacefully but underscored tensions between the United States and China, which escalated after Beijing last month declared an expanded “air defence identification zone” in the East China Sea.<\/p>\n
Last week’s confrontation occurred in the strategic South China Sea, where Beijing has aggressively moved to push for control over territory claimed by other countries in the region.<\/p>\n
The US military has repeatedly vowed to keep operating in international waters and airspace, and has increased its presence in Southeast Asia over the past year as a counter-balance to Beijing’s more assertive regional stance.<\/p>\n
China has declared an economic exclusion zone in part of the western Pacific, but the United States considers the area international waters beyond Beijing’s control.<\/p>\n
US military leaders have warned that China’s air defence zone could aggravate tensions and possibly trigger a dangerous incident.<\/p>\n
Washington has refused to recognize the air zone and flew a pair of B-52 bombers through the area without notifying Beijing in advance.<\/p>\n
The defence official renewed calls for bolstering military relations between the two countries to prevent misunderstandings.<\/p>\n
“US leaders have been clear about our commitment to develop a stable and continuous military-to-military relationship with China,” the defence official said.<\/p>\n
“Whether it is a tactical at-sea encounter, or strategic dialogue, sustained and reliable communication mitigates risk of mishaps, which is in the interest of both the US and China.”<\/p>\n
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