Beijing has defended its dispatch of a spy ship to international waters off Hawaii, near where Chinese vessels are taking part in a US-led naval exercise for the first time, reports said yesterday.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense said the vessel’s activities are in line with international law, reported the Global Times, which is close to the Chinese Communist Party.
Reports in the US quoted the US Navy saying that a Chinese surveillance vessel was operating near the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercises, viewed by analysts as one step toward potentially repairing ties at a time of heightened US-China tensions.
Four ships from China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy — a missile destroyer, missile frigate, supply ship and hospital ship — with an estimated 1,100 sailors on board are taking part in the exercises, which began last month.
China’s dispatch of the surveillance ship is a reminder that relations remain fraught.
“The People’s Liberation Army naval ships’ operation in waters outside the territorial seas of other countries is in line with international law and international practice,” a Chinese Ministry of National Defense statement said.
“The Chinese side respects the rights of maritime countries in accordance with international laws, but also wishes relevant countries could respect the rights Chinese ships are entitled to enjoy by law,” it added.
US officials have affirmed that the ship is operating legally.
Previously, Washington has accused Beijing of harassing US ships in international waters in the South China Sea.
In 2009, tensions spiked after five Chinese ships nearly collided with a US surveillance ship off southern China.
In December last year, Washington issued a formal protest after the USS Cowpens warship was forced to maneuver to avoid a collision with a Chinese naval vessel in the same waters.
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