US and China in ‘unsafe encounter’ at sea

Chinese warship comes ‘within 45 yards’ of US destroyer in South China Sea

The USS Decatur has had a very close call with a Chinese warship in the South China Sea
(Image credit: Source: US Navy)

A US navy vessel has come perilously close to a Chinese warship during an exercise in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, forcing the USS Decatur to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision.

Captain Charles Brown, spokesman for US Pacific Fleet, said in a statement that the Chinese Luyang destroyer approached the USS Decatur guided missile destroyer in an “unsafe and unprofessional manoeuvre in the vicinity of Gaven Reef in the South China Sea”.

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