The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Decatur managed to avoid a collision on Sunday when a Chinese warship came within 45 yards of its bow as the American vessel crossed a disputed island chain in the South China Sea, reports ABC News.
The U.S. Navy characterized the encounter as “unsafe and unprofessional.” It comes at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and China.
The American ship was carrying out a freedom of navigation operation (FONOPs) in the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea. China declares the seven man-made islands in the area as their own.
The Chinese Navy “destroyer conducted a series of increasingly aggressive maneuvers accompanied by warnings for DECATUR to depart the area,” said Capt. Charlie Brown, a U.S. Pacific Fleet Spokesman, to ABC News.
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