WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday protested what military officials called China’s harassment and aggressive shadowing of a U.S. Navy ocean surveillance ship in international waters Sunday, and it urged greater respect for maritime law.
Five Chinese vessels “surrounded” the USNS Impeccable in the South China Sea and closed within 50 feet, with Chinese crew members “waving Chinese flags and telling Impeccable to leave the area,” according to the Pentagon.
Impeccable sprayed fire hoses at one vessel in response, but the Chinese crew stripped to their underwear as the ship “continued closing to within 25 feet,” the Pentagon said.
At that point, Impeccable used a bridge-to-bridge radio to communicate its intent to move on. But two Chinese vessels stopped in the path of the U.S. ship, forcing it to conduct an emergency stop.
The Washington Post
