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December 14, 2013
The near-miss between a U.S. guided missile cruiser, USS Cowpens, and a Chinese warship operating near China's only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, last week was the most significant U.S.-China maritime incident in the South China Sea since 2009, said security expert Carl Thayer at the Australian Defense Force Academy. "It is a gravely disturbing development," said Ian Storey, a regional security analyst at Singapore's Institute of South East Asian Studies. "If China continues to challenge the presence of foreign naval ships in the South China Sea, it is only a question of time before a serious and potentially deadly incident occurs."
The U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement on Friday that the USS Cowpens, operating in international waters in the South China Sea, last week narrowly missed colliding with the Chinese warship. The Chinese ship maneuvered near the Cowpens in the incident on December 5 and the Cowpens took evasive action. "Eventually, effective bridge-to-bridge communications occurred between the U.S. and Chinese crews, and both vessels maneuvered to ensure safe passage," said the defense official. Asked if the Chinese vessel was moving towards the Cowpens with aggressive intent, a U.S. defense official declined to speculate. "Whether it is a tactical at-sea encounter, or strategic dialogue, sustained and reliable communication mitigates the risk of mishaps, which is in the interest of both the U.S. and China," the official said in an email to Reuters. The U.S. Navy said the Cowpens was conducting regular freedom-of-navigation operations when the incident occurred.
The near-miss between a U.S. guided missile cruiser, USS Cowpens, and a Chinese warship operating near China's only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, last week was the most significant U.S.-China maritime incident in the South China Sea since 2009, said security expert Carl Thayer at the Australian Defense Force Academy. "It is a gravely disturbing development," said Ian Storey, a regional security analyst at Singapore's Institute of South East Asian Studies. "If China continues to challenge the presence of foreign naval ships in the South China Sea, it is only a question of time before a serious and potentially deadly incident occurs."
The U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a statement on Friday that the USS Cowpens, operating in international waters in the South China Sea, last week narrowly missed colliding with the Chinese warship. The Chinese ship maneuvered near the Cowpens in the incident on December 5 and the Cowpens took evasive action. "Eventually, effective bridge-to-bridge communications occurred between the U.S. and Chinese crews, and both vessels maneuvered to ensure safe passage," said the defense official. Asked if the Chinese vessel was moving towards the Cowpens with aggressive intent, a U.S. defense official declined to speculate. "Whether it is a tactical at-sea encounter, or strategic dialogue, sustained and reliable communication mitigates the risk of mishaps, which is in the interest of both the U.S. and China," the official said in an email to Reuters. The U.S. Navy said the Cowpens was conducting regular freedom-of-navigation operations when the incident occurred.
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