The Pentagon has expressed concern about China's "increasingly risky" actions in Asia. On Saturday, the U.S. Navy accused a Chinese ship of zigzagging "dangerously" around a U.S. destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, less than 10 days after an aerial incident between the two countries in the region.
The Chinese ship "executed maneuvers in a dangerous manner near the Chung-Hoon," a U.S. destroyer that was sailing through the strait on Saturday, the U.S. command said in a statement.
The Chinese ship "passed the Chung-Hoon on the port side and crossed its bow at 150 m. The Chung-Hoon maintained its course and slowed to 10 (knots) to avoid a collision," the statement said.
It then "passed in front of the bow of the Chung-Hoon a second time from starboard to port at 2000 meters" and continued to sail alongside the American destroyer which it approached within 150 m, adds the text.
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The incident occurred while the USS Chung-Hoon, an Aegis destroyer part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, was sailing with the Canadian ship HMCS Montreal through the 180-kilometre-wide Taiwan Strait that separates the autonomous island of the same name from mainland China.
The Chinese military said it monitored the passage of the two ships, but did not mention any incidents.
"Relevant countries intentionally create unrest in the Taiwan Strait, deliberately stoke risks and maliciously undermine regional peace and stability," said Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for China's Eastern Command.
U.S. ships regularly pass through the Taiwan Strait, but rarely do so accompanied by an allied ship. The last joint U.S.-Canadian passage dates back to September.
These crossings irritate China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory and claims to have sovereign rights over the strait.