U.S., China are risking a clash at sea
HONOLULU — From a distance, the Chinese warship warned the U.S. destroyer that it was on a “dangerous course” in the South China Sea. Then it raced up alongside, getting perilously close. For a few tense minutes, a collision seemed imminent.
The U.S. vessel, the Decatur, blasted its whistle. The Chinese took no notice. Instead, the crew prepared to throw overboard large, shock-absorbing fenders to protect their ship. They were “trying to push us out of the way,” one of the American sailors said.
Only a sharp starboard turn by the Decatur avoided a disaster in the calm equatorial waters that early morning in September — one that could have badly damaged both vessels, killed members of both crews and thrust two nuclear powers into an international crisis, according to a senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the encounter in detail.
The ships came within 45 yards of each other, marking the closest call yet as the U.S. Navy contests China’s military buildup in the South China Sea. The Sept. 30 encounter signaled what U.S. commanders fear is a perilous new phase in confrontations in the disputed waterway, which are unfolding without even a Cold War-style agreement on basic rules of conduct aimed at preventing escalation.
“A game of chicken is being played around Asia’s flashpoints,” said Brendan Taylor, an expert on the South China Sea at the Australian National University.
“It is only a matter of time before a clash occurs,” Taylor said, adding that he sees significant potential for such an event to escalate into a larger crisis.
China’s defense minister, Wei Fenghe, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis are expected to make an effort to calm those rising tensions and reduce the risks of miscalculation when they meet in Washington on Friday.
But the trade war and Vice President Mike Pence’s speech last month declaring that the United States would take a far tougher line on China give the two men little incentive to ease tensions in the waterway.
Despite the risks, neither side appears ready to back down.
The United States and China “will meet each other more and more on the high seas,” the chief of naval operations, Adm. John M. Richardson, warned after September’s near miss.
The Trump administration told the Navy last year to execute more operations against China’s territorial claims, and it has sent warships more frequently to waters near the artificial islands China has bulked up with aircraft hangars, runways, deepwater harbors and, most recently, short-range missiles. Washington also recently asked allies to contribute their ships to the task.
“In response to this situation I believe that China will have to take the necessary measures to increase the cost of such provocative actions by the U.S. and other relevant countries,” said Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies in Haikou, China, who often reflects the view of the Chinese navy. “Otherwise the actions of the provocative parties will only be more frequent and unscrupulous.”
The near crash with the Decatur showed, however, the dangers of the rivals squaring off against each other.
The incident occurred as the Decatur, with 300 crew members, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Gaven Reef, a pair of outcroppings in the sea that China has enlarged and fortified with weaponry since 2014. The Chinese destroyer, called the Lanzhou, with a similar number of seamen, sped up from behind and overtook it.
This account of what happened is based on interviews with U.S. officials, as well as a video released by the British Ministry of Defense to The South China Morning Post that was described as authentic by a U.S. defense official.
As China deploys more planes and ships to challenge U.S. dominance in the region, such encounters may become more frequent.