Les Etats-Unis dénoncent “des actions de plus en plus risquées” de la part des Chinois, alors que Pékin dit regretter “la résurgence d’une mentalité de guerre froide”.
In the Taiwan Strait, incidents between the Chinese and Americans have multiplied in recent days. And declarations by officials from both countries are getting tougher. On Saturday June 3, the US Navy accused a Chinese vessel of “dangerously” zigzagging around an American destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, less than 10 days after an aerial incident between the two countries in the region.
The Chinese vessel “maneuvered dangerously close to the Chung-Hoon”, a US destroyer that was sailing in the Strait on Saturday, the US command said in a statement. The Chinese vessel “passed the Chung-Hoon on its port side and crossed its bow at 150 meters. The Chung-Hoon maintained its course and slowed down to 10 (knots) to avoid a collision,” the statement said. It then “passed in front of the Chung-Hoon’s bow a second time from starboard to port at 2,000 meters” and continued to sail alongside the American destroyer, coming within 150 meters of it, The Chinese army said it had monitored the passage of the two ships, but did not mention any incidents. “The countries concerned are intentionally creating trouble in the Taiwan Strait, deliberately fanning the flames of risk and maliciously undermining regional peace and stability,” denounced Colonel Shi Yi, spokesman for China’s Eastern Command.