China Harrasses US Spy Ship

Hmmm...

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. (snip)

The Chinese used polls [sic?] 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.

Remember the spy plane incident with China back at the start of the Bush presidency? There was much speculation that was a deal to transfer technology to China, perhaps as part of a deal for China to play along with 9/11.

Not clear if this is along the same lines, or China trying to exert some force on a weakened US. Along these same lines, the Chinese prime minister recently made some comments about the US making good on all the debt that has been bought by China.