The U.S. military showed video on Monday of what it called an “unsafe” move by a Chinese ship in the Taiwan Strait over the weekend.
The Taiwan Strait is the body of water between the China mainland and the island of Taiwan.
The video was taken from the U.S. destroyer Chung-Hoon. It shows a Chinese navy ship moving across the path of the Chung-Hoon. The U.S. Navy said the destroyer slowed down quickly to prevent a crash.
The incident happened Saturday as the U.S. ship and a Canadian ship, the HMCS Montreal, were moving in the waters between Taiwan and China. The North American ships said they were carrying out a “freedom of navigation” exercise.
China says it controls the Taiwan Strait because it also claims the island of Taiwan as part of its territory. The U.S. and its allies often move boats and airplanes through the area to show that it is an international waterway and not controlled by one nation.
The video shows the Chinese military ship move across the front of the American ship at a distance of just over 130 meters. The Chinese ship then straightens out and continues moving in the same direction as the American ship.
In a statement, the United States Indo-Pacific Command said the move was a violation of ocean travel rules. The statement also said that the North American ships’ move through the area showed “the combined U.S. – Canadian commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Wang Wenbin is a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman. He said the actions were “justified, lawful, safe and professional.” He added that the U.S. should think about its “wrongdoings.”
The U.S. military also recently accused China of sending an airplane into the path of a U.S. aircraft over the South China Sea.
Political experts are concerned that the close calls between the U.S. and Chinese military risk an accident that could start a more serious incident.
The incident on Saturday took place as top U.S. and Chinese military leaders were in Singapore for a defense meeting.
Li Shangfu is the Chinese Defense Minister. On Saturday, he said the American military is trying to get a reaction from China. Li said other countries should “mind their own business” and not travel through Chinese territories.
Lloyd Austin is the U.S. defense secretary. Austin invited Li to an informal discussion during the conference in Singapore, but Li said no.
I’m Dan Friedell.
Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by The Associated Press.
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Words in This Story
navigation –n. the act of following a set path by ship, airplane or other vehicles
justified –adj. permitted under the law
close call –phrase. a situation that results in nervousness, concern or danger but in the end does not cause physical harm