James Holmes, National Interest: South China Sea Showdown: What Happens If a U.S. Navy and Chinese Vessel Collide?
It might not end peacefully.
What would happen should a U.S. Navy warship collide with a Chinese vessel while demonstrating on behalf of freedom of the sea?
This hasn’t been a trivial or hypothetical question since at least April 2001, when a Chinese fighter jet hotdogging near a U.S. Navy EP-3 surveillance plane slammed into the American aircraft, kindling a diplomatic crisis between the Chinese Communist Party leadership and the newly installed administration of President George W. Bush. This aerial encounter furnished advance warning of what might happen on the surface below.
Last weekend the question took on new urgency. On Sunday morning a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 052C destroyer cut across the bow of the destroyer USS Decatur as Decatur made a close pass by Gaven Reef in the South China Sea. Estimates vary, but it appears the PLAN ship passed somewhere within 45 feet and 45 yards of its American counterpart—compelling the Decatur bridge crew to maneuver to avoid collision. The imagery is striking. Whatever the actual range, terming this conduct “unsafe and unprofessional”—in the U.S. Pacific Command’s anodyne phrasing—understates how close the vessels came to disaster.
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WNU Editor: If a U.S. Navy and Chinese vessel collide .... it is a given that there will be a heighten alert status from both militaries, but it will be in the political and economic arena that the battle will be fought. I cannot help but feel that if a Chinese naval vessel seriously damages a U.S. warship, or a Chinese vessel puts itself in front of a U.S. naval warship, President Trump will use tariffs and other economic measures to retaliate. The economy is China's Achilles Heel, and President Trump knows this. The Chinese must also know this .... but I must confess that I do not understand why they are committed to go down this road.
Update: Collision Course in the South China Sea? (Veerle Nouwens, RUSI)
5 comments:
While China is determined to succeed at their communist ideals; and they are progressing on that front, they're getting too cocky and that could come back to bite them. They want to pick a fight and they might find themselves short a destroyer or two in a matter of minutes. If that happens I hope for restraint on both sides
The US and Russia had many naval collisions in the Cold War and a few American planes were shot down by Russia. Yet no WWIII and life went on. People are sadly lacking historic knowledge of the past and they get hyped by dumb, ignorant and perhaps cynical reporters looking for clicks far more than truth.
Ships collide, China’s stock market drops 5-10%, question is, if you dig a deep enough hole in China do you end up in North America?
It's the lack of faith by Chinese faith in christ
" Anonymous Anonymous said...
The US and Russia had many naval collisions in the Cold War and a few American planes were shot down by Russia. Yet no WWIII and life went on. People are sadly lacking historic knowledge of the past and they get hyped by dumb, ignorant and perhaps cynical reporters looking for clicks far more than truth.
October 8, 2018 at 11:57 PM "
Thank you. I came here to say this. Stupidity and click-bait rule today's media.
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