The Chinese warship was reported to have come within 150 meters of hitting the USS Chung-Hoon on Saturday while the US destroyer was conducting a joint exercise with Canada in the Taiwan Strait.
The incident comes as US-China tensions in the South China Sea remain high.
The Chinese vessel accelerated and crossed ahead of the USS Chung-Hoon’s bow, warning the American vessel that a collision would ensue if she didn’t change course, Canadian Global News – whose reporters witnessed a near-disaster with HMCS Montreal – reported.
The US ordered the Chinese ship to keep away from the destroyer and on the last moment the Chinese modified course.
Reportedly, Chung-Hoon was also forced to decelerate and alter course in the face of an imminent call.
The commander of HMCS Montreal, Paul Mountford, called the incident “unprofessional” on the part of the Chinese, saying it was “clearly initiated by the Chinese”, in keeping with Global News.
“The indisputable fact that this was announced over the radio before it was done clearly indicates that it was intentional,” he added.
He continued: “I hope that is an isolated incident that will not occur again because international law is on our side. These are international waters.
The Chinese warned US and Canadian ships that they were in Chinese territorial waters, although the strait was declared international waters, Mountford said.
Chinese ships have been following a joint US-Canadian exercise for the past week before entering the Taiwan Strait.
Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said: “Canada will proceed to sail where international law allows, including the Strait and the South China Sea,” in keeping with Global News.
She added: “Our overall goal is to extend peace and stability in the region. And that is why we intend to proceed to see more of Canada in the region, in line with our Indo-Pacific strategy. We’ve already seen dangerous interceptions and handled them accordingly in China for our RCAF pilots. The actors in this region must engage responsibly and that’s an important thing.”
Anand had just attended a security summit in Singapore, which was also attended by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu.
Late last month, the Chinese government threatened the US with “serious consequences” after it sailed through the disputed Paracel Islands over which it claims sovereignty.
It also disregarded Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and last month deployed a research vessel together with five escort vessels in an area where a Russian state-owned company jointly operates a gas block in the energy-rich South China Sea with Hanoi.
Fox News contacted the US State Department and the Pentagon.