According to the US military, a Chinese Navy ship engaged in an "unsafe manner" near an American destroyer as it transited the Taiwan Strait on Saturday (Jun 3). This incident marks the second close encounter between American and Chinese military assets within a span of less than 10 days, following an incident where the US military claimed that a Beijing fighter executed an "unnecessarily aggressive manoeuvre" near one of Washington's surveillance planes last week.

The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) stated that the Chinese ship exhibited unsafe manoeuvres near the American destroyer Chung-Hoon during the transit. The Chinese vessel surpassed Chung-Hoon on the port side and crossed its bow at a distance of 150 yards. Chung-Hoon maintained its course and reduced its speed to 10 knots in order to avoid a potential collision. Subsequently, the Chinese ship crossed Chung-Hoon's bow again, this time from starboard to port at a distance of 2,000 yards, and positioned itself off the port bow of Chung-Hoon, coming within 150 yards at the closest point. The US military emphasized that it operates in accordance with international law and conducts its activities safely and responsibly.

The incident took place as the Chung-Hoon, accompanied by a Canadian warship, sailed through the Taiwan Strait as part of a joint mission. The Taiwan Strait is a sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan, a self-ruled island, from China. The Chinese military acknowledged monitoring the passage but made no mention of any close encounter.

Colonel Shi Yi, the spokesman for China's Eastern Theatre Command, accused the relevant countries of deliberately creating trouble in the Taiwan Strait, escalating risks, and undermining regional peace and stability.

It is common for US warships to traverse the Taiwan Strait, with the most recent joint US-Canada passage occurring in September 2022. China considers Taiwan its territory and has increased military and political pressure on the island in recent years, asserting its intention to take control of Taiwan, even if it requires the use of force.

The ship encounter in the Taiwan Strait follows another incident characterized by the US military as a risky manoeuvre, involving a Chinese jet flying directly in front of and within 400 feet of the nose of an RC-135 surveillance plane over the South China Sea on May 26. Beijing attributed the incident to US "provocation," with a spokeswoman from the foreign ministry stating that the United States' continuous and frequent surveillance activities near China significantly harm China's national sovereignty and security.

^{Source CNA}