Chinese navy vessel attempts to stop U.S. warship

[Flesh Thorn]

A Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. guided missile warship to stop in international waters recently, causing a tense military standoff in the latest case of Chinese maritime harassment, according to defense officials.

The guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens, which recently took part in disaster relief operations in the Philippines, was confronted by Chinese warships in the South China Sea near Beijing’s new aircraft carrier Liaoning, according to officials familiar with the incident.

“On December 5th, while lawfully operating in international waters in the South China Sea, USS Cowpens and a PLA Navy vessel had an encounter that required maneuvering to avoid a collision,” a Navy official said.

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[Jim]

With US policy redirected toward Asia, I think we can expect a greater number of similar incidents.

[Jim]

More details:

http://news.yahoo.com/us-chinese-warshi ... 24836.html

[Baseplate]

I wonder what "In the vicinity" means when in relation to the Chinese aircraft carrier. I am certain the US would have done the same if a Chinese ship had come close to our aircraft carrier.