TORPEDOES LOADED, BUT EXCHANGING ONLY PLEASANTRIES
As Obama meets Xi, US sailors engage in a diplomatic dance on the South China Sea
The navy cruiser was in disputed waters off the Spratly Islands when the threat warning sounded over the ship’s intercom: “Away the Snoopie team … Away the Snoopie team.” As the sailors of the “Snoopie team” went on alert and took up positions throughout the ship, a Chinese naval frigate appeared on the horizon, bearing down on the cruiser Chancellorsville from the direction of Mischief Reef. More alarming, a Chinese helicopter that had taken off from the frigate was heading straight for the US cruiser.
“This is US Navy warship on guard,” Ensign Anthony Giancana said into his radio from the ship’s bridge, trying to contact the helicopter. “Come up on frequency 121.5 or 243.” Ominously, there was no response. In the hot azure waters off the Spratly and Paracel Islands — which encompass reefs, banks and cays — the United States and China are jockeying for dominance in the Pacific. From Mischief Reef, where China is building a military base in defiance of claims by Vietnam and the Philippines, to Scarborough Shoal, where the Chinese are building and equipping outposts on disputed territory far from the mainland, the two naval forces are on an almost continuous state of alert.
Although the South China Sea stretches some 800km from mainland China, Beijing has claimed most of it. Tensions have risen sharply, and the topic dominated President Barack Obama’s meeting in Washington late last week with the Chinese president, Xi Jinping.
Aboard the Chancellorsville a weeks earlier, the minutes — and the tension — stretched out as the Chinese helicopter pilot refused to answer. The helicopter kept circling and eventually flew back to the Chinese frigate, which then continued toward the US warship. At the helm, Capt Curt Renshaw, who had skipped his morning shower to race up to the bridge when the Chinese helicopter approached, huddled with his officers.
The day before, Capt Renshaw had warned the entire ship over the intercom that the Chancellorsville would be transiting through the Spratlys, and he told the crew members to be on their toes and alert to trouble.
He had been expecting the Chinese to show up — in recent months, they have taken to shadowing US warships that have dared to enter the South China Sea. On a stand near the captain’s chair, a copy of Jane’s Fighting Ships was open to Page 144: “China Frigates”.
“You’ve ever been shadowed before?” Capt Renshaw asked Ensign Kristine Mun, a navigations officer. He turned to Ensign Niles Li, one of several officers who speak Chinese, and wondered aloud at the Chinese helicopter’s refusal to answer the radio message.
Finally, when the Chinese frigate was 10km away and clearly visible to the naked eye on the horizon, the ship-to-ship radio crackled with the sounds of accented English. “US Navy Warship 62 … this is Chinese Warship 575.”
And so began an elaborate diplomatic dance.
“This is US Warship 62. Good morning, sir. It is a pleasant day at sea, over.” No response. “This is US Warship 62. Good morning, sir. It is a pleasant day to be at sea, over.” Still no response. Capt Renshaw turned to Ensign Li. “You’re up,” he said. “They can’t pretend they don’t speak Chinese.”
“Chinese Warship 575, this is US Warship 62,” Ensign Li said in Chinese. “Today is a sunny day for a sea voyage, over.”
More minutes ticked by. Ensign Anthony Giancana, the junior officer on deck for the morning, was getting antsy. “This is like Opening Day,” he said to no one in particular. “We’ve done spring training.”
Suddenly, the radio crackled again as the frigate responded in Chinese: “US Warship 62, this is Chinese Warship 575. Today’s weather is great. It is a pleasure to meet you at sea.” Ensign Li responded, also in Chinese: “This is US Warship 62. The weather is indeed great. It is a pleasure to meet you, too, over.”
Preliminaries dispensed with, the Chinese ship got down to business, switching to English. “How long have you been since departing from your home port? Over.”
Capt Renshaw immediately shook his head. “No, we’re not answering that. I would never ask him that.” Ensign Giancana picked up the radio again. “Chinese Warship 575, this is US Navy Warship 62. We do not talk about our schedules. But we are enjoying our time at sea, over.”
And on it went as the two warships, each loaded with missiles, torpedoes and heavy artillery, confronted each other with an exchange of weather pleasantries at sea. Testing whether the Chinese were openly following, the Chancellorsville made a turn, and its officers stood back and waited. A shout came from another one of Capt Renshaw’s junior officers: “He just turned, sir!” The Chancellorsville now had a tail. But for how long?
Apparently the Chinese ship wanted an answer to that question as well.
“US Navy Warship 62, this is Chinese Navy Warship 575,” came a new message. “Do you continue to have long-term voyage at sea? Over.” Another no-no. Telling the Chinese the intended duration of the trip could be an inherent acknowledgment that they had the right to know, Capt Renshaw said. And that is not considered freedom of navigation.
“This is US Navy Warship 62,” Capt Renshaw responded. “Roger, all of our voyages are short because we enjoy our time at sea no matter how long we are away from home. Over.”
As it happened, the Chinese ship had a ready answer for that.
“US Navy Warship 62, this is Chinese Navy Warship 575,” came the reply. “Copy that I will be staying along with you for the following days. Over.”
That was Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Chinese frigate was replaced by a destroyer, which followed the navy warship until midnight on Thursday, when the US vessel exited the South China Sea.