A Chinese warship came perilously close to colliding with a United States Navy destroyer in the South China Sea on Sunday. The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Decatur (DDG-73) was sailing near the disputed Spratly Islands when it was forced to maneuver out of the way to avoid a collision with the Chinese ship, which reportedly came within 45 yards of the Decatur.
According to an official statement released on Monday by Pacific Fleet Deputy Spokesman Commander Nate Christensen: “At approximately 0830 local time on September 30, a PRC LUYANG destroyer approached USS DECATUR in an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver in the vicinity of Gaven Reef in the South China Sea. The PRC destroyer conducted a series of increasingly aggressive maneuvers accompanied by warnings for DECATUR to depart the area. The PRC destroyer approached within 45 yards of DECATUR’s bow, after which DECATUR maneuvered to prevent a collision. U.S. Navy ships and aircraft operate throughout the Indo-Pacific routinely, including the South China Sea. As we have for decades, our forces will continue to fly, sail, and operate anywhere international law allows.”
The Decatur was conducting a freedom of navigation operation — a “FONOP” — near the Gaven and Johnson Reefs. “FONOPs are not about any one country, nor are they about making political statements. However, FONOPs challenge excessive maritime claims and demonstrate our commitment to uphold the rights, freedoms, and uses of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations under international law,” Commander Christensen said.
These types of missions demonstrate that the United States does not recognize China’s territorial claims to the South China Sea. Although they are occupied by Chinese troops, the Gaven and Johnson reefs are claimed by Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines.
A strategic waterway, Beijing has strengthened its military presence in the South China Sea by building islands there and placing airfields and missiles on them.
China opposes the entry of U.S. warships into the waters around the reefs, the Chinese defense ministry said in a statement Tuesday. Chinese officials confirmed that they sent the Luoyang to drive the USS Decatur away and urged the U.S. to stop its “provocative” actions.
Tensions in the region have been elevated for the last few weeks. Two United States Air Force B-52 bombers from the 96th Expeditionary Squadron in Guam flew over the South China Sea last week and another two flew over the East China Sea. The Chinese military has repeatedly issued warnings to U.S. and other foreign aircraft that venture too close to areas they claim in the region, many of which have been armed with air defense systems. The South China Sea is claimed by China but remains disputed, while the East China Sea has been declared an air defense identification zone by China.
The B-52 flights came on the heels of the Chinese government’s demand that the U.S. cancel a $330 million sale of military equipment to Taiwan and then turned down a request for a port call in Hong Kong by the USS Wasp that had been planned for October.
Photos of the incident have been obtained by Fox News and show just how close the Chinese warship came to the USS Decatur.
