A Chinese warship and an American destroyer nearly collided in the Taiwan Strait. An event that will fuel tensions between two superpowers whose relations are at an all-time low. From the trade war to US restrictions on microchip exports to China; From Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea to the autonomous island of Taiwan: There are many elements of conflict between Beijing and Washington. And the Chinese ship’s operation on the delicate waterway separating self-governing Taiwan from China will only drive the two superpowers apart.
a close encounter
While the Shangri-La Dialogue, focusing on security in the Asia-Pacific, is taking place in Singapore, a Chinese ship has sailed just over 100 meters from the US destroyer Us Chung-Hoon and is engaged in a joint Canada-US free roaming activity. over the Taiwan Strait. This was reported by Global News based on the testimony of one of its correspondents traveling with the Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal, which joined the mission in the South China Sea on May 25. According to the reorganization, the Chinese unit determined its course to cut off the bow of the US destroyer, who advised its crew to change course to avoid collision with the radio.
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The Chinese ship would set a course that would cut the bow of the American ship, a maneuver defined by the captain of the Canadian ship on which the “non-professional” reporter was boarding. The Americans responded by asking the Chinese to stay away from the ship, but Chung-Hoon was eventually forced to slow down to change course and avoid a collision.
The US Seventh Fleet said the destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and the Royal Canadian Navy HMCS Montreal “made a routine transit through the Taiwan Strait (local time) on June 3, through waters where freedom of navigation and overflight on the high seas”. with international law”.
Montreal’s master, Captain Paul Mountford, said the unprofessional action and incident was “clearly provoked by the Chinese. The broadcasting of this on the radio before it was done made it clear that this was deliberate. The incident is the last of a series. The United States’ China in the seas and in the air “with aggression and amateurism.” “He saw that he was blamed.
🚨 Video: A Chinese warship came within 150 yards of hitting the American destroyer USS Chung-Hoon.
Journalists on board recorded the moment on video and witnessed the close combat.
“The fact that it was announced on the radio before it was done made it clear that it was intentional.” pic.twitter.com/cuksOabO15
— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) June 3, 2023
Dialogue initiatives
China’s aircraft carrier Shandong made a show of strength last week by sending two more ships through the Taiwan Strait after Beijing conducted air and naval exercises around the rebel island last April. The naval crossing took place as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart, Li Shangfu, attend the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the most important security forum in Asia: The two leaders will not hold a bilateral summit after the deal was rejected. The Chinese side due to the lack of “prerequisites”. In fact, Beijing wanted the US sanctions that hit Li in 2018 to be lifted due to arms purchases from Russia.
The news of the rapprochement between the two ships came a few days after the US Undersecretary of State for East Asia and the Pacific, Daniel J. Kritenbrink, began a visit to China. in New Zealand. Kritenbrink will be accompanied by Sarah Beran, China and Taiwan Director of the White House National Security Council. Therefore, if the visit is part of efforts that have been launched some time ago, and has been sanctioned by the undercover mission in Beijing in recent weeks by Washington’s CIA director William Burns to initiate a defrosting of relations, Beran’s presence in the delegation is the main rift with Beijing. reaffirms its willingness to address the Taiwan issue, which is
Beijing claims the island is its own territory – promising to one day conquer it by force if necessary – and has increased military and political pressure on the island in recent years.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
