Chinese warship LUYANG III DDG 132 nearly collides with US destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93)

Two warships nearly collided in the South China Sea last week. The People's Liberation Army of China destroyer LUYANG III DDG 132 made a dangerous manoeuvre and came within 140 metres of the US destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93).

Here's What We Know

Paul Mountford, captain of the Royal Canadian Navy ship HMCS Montreal, witnessed the incident. He called the actions of the sailors on the Chinese destroyer "unprofessional".

LUYANG III DDG 132 contacted the crew of USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) after changing course and urged them to leave, threatening a confrontation. The American sailors advised their opponents to stay away from them. However, the US Navy destroyer eventually manoeuvred to evade the collision.

The US and Canadian ships were on a joint mission in international waters. For its part, the Chinese side claims that USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and HMCS Montreal entered Chinese territory.

The US Navy's Indo-Pacific Command has stated that LUYANG III DDG 132 was the culprit of the situation. The official statement said the Chinese ship violated "maritime traffic regulations" in international waters.

Source: DVIDS