美国国防部官员说,中国船只上周五在黄海海域与一艘美国海军监测船对峙。
五角大楼发言人惠特曼星期二说,这一涉及美国海军监测船胜利号的事件将通过外交途径解决。惠特曼说,中国渔船在监测船附近进行了危险的操作,他说,美国胜利号监测船在该海域进行的是“例行作业”。
早些时候,不愿透露姓名的五角大楼官员对记者表示,两艘中国船驶近距离美国海军监测船胜利号不到30米的地方。美国国防官员说,美国监测船利用高压水龙警告让那两艘中国船只离开。
美国海军说,胜利号监测船是政府管辖的一个特别船队的一部分,这些船使用声纳设备,帮助美国海军监视来自水下的威胁。
美国海军网站说,胜利号监测船船员通常是24名平民合同工。
监测潜艇船队的另一艘船,美国海军“无暇”号,也同中国船对峙过。今年3月在南中国海,五艘中国渔船曾驶近“无暇”号监测船不到8米的距离内。
U.S. defense officials say Chinese vessels confronted a U.S. Navy surveillance ship in the Yellow Sea on Friday.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Tuesday that the incident involving the USNS Victorious will be addressed diplomatically. Whitman said Chinese fishing boats performed dangerous maneuvers near the surveillance ship, which he said was conducting “routine operations” in the area.
Speaking earlier to reporters on condition of anonymity, pentagon officials said two Chinese boats came within less than 30 meters of the USNS Victorious. The defense officials said the U.S. ship used its water hoses to warn off the Chinese vessels.
The U.S. Navy says the Victorious is part of a special fleet of government-owned ships that use sonar equipment to help the U.S. Navy monitor underwater threats.
A Navy Web site says the Victorious normally has a crew of 24 civilian contractors.
Another ship in the submarine-monitoring fleet, the USNS Impeccable, was involved in a confrontation with Chinese vessels. Five Chinese boats came within eight meters of the Impeccable in March in the South China Sea.