米中の小規模な衝突 |
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U.S. says Chinese vessels harassed Navy ship
By David Morgan – Mon Mar 9, 5:16 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States Monday urged China to observe international maritime rules after the Pentagon said five Chinese ships, including a naval vessel, harassed a U.S. Navy ship in international waters.
The Chinese vessels "shadowed and aggressively maneuvered in dangerously close proximity" to the USNS Impeccable on Sunday, with one vessel coming within 25 feet of the U.S. ship, a U.S. Defense Department statement said.
The American ship, an unarmed ocean surveillance vessel, was conducting routine operations in the South China Sea 75 miles south of Hainan Island, according to the Pentagon.
Defense officials said the incident followed days of increasingly aggressive Chinese conduct in the area, including fly-bys of two U.S. Navy ships by Chinese maritime surveillance planes.
(中略)
The Chinese vessels surrounded the Impeccable while two closed to within 50 feet, waving Chinese flags and telling the U.S. ship to leave the area, the Defense Department said.
The Chinese used polls in an attempt to snag the acoustic array that allows Impeccable to monitor underwater events, a defense spokesman said.
The Impeccable responded by spraying one of the vessels with fire hoses and its crew disrobed to their underwear.
The U.S. ship informed the Chinese vessels by radio that it was leaving the area and requested a safe path to navigate. Two of the Chinese vessels stopped directly in front of the U.S. ship and dropped pieces of wood in its path.
The Pentagon described accounts of half a dozen other incidents dating back to March 4, in which the Impeccable and its sister vessel, USNS Victorious, were subjected to aggressive behavior, including dozens of fly-bys by Chinese Y-12 maritime surveillance aircraft.
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中国側が船を囲んだと思ったら、アメリカ側が放水し、それに対抗して中国側が丸太を浮かべたわけですな。色々やってます(苦笑
これは小さな事件かも知れませんが、実は「海のコントロール」という大きな意味を持つ事件ですよね。実に面白い。
そういえばブッシュ息子第一次政権の初期でもエアパワー関連で同じく海南島付近で衝突がありましたな。